Burbank, CA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Burbank, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Burbank →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Burbank, California has a population of about 106,389. Typical household income is $91,455 per year, above the median across the cities in our dataset (+27%).
Burbank's housing market shows a median home value of $959,700, above the multi-city benchmark (+194%), alongside median rent of $2,004 per month. Both figures matter for anyone weighing a move here.
Home values running about 10.5× median income put Burbank on the stretched end of the affordability spectrum among cities we cover. Year-over-year, home values around Burbank are up 1.7%, a pace in line with a healthy, unremarkable market. Climate and natural-hazard risk in Burbank runs on the higher side, per FEMA's Very High rating — insurance premiums often track this closely.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $2,004/mo in Burbank would take 26.3% of your income.
$282/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($959,700) would take 67.2% of your income toward principal & interest.
$2,989/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Burbank
Median home value is $959,700 and median gross rent is $2,004/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Los Angeles rose 1.7% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $2,601/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Burbank's overall natural-hazard risk as Very High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Burbank reported a violent crime rate of 341.8 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Burbank
Planning a move to Burbank? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Burbank, CA?
- In Burbank, the median home value is $959,700 and median rent is $2,004 per month, against a median household income of $91,455. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Burbank?
- Comfortably affording rent in Burbank — where the median runs $2,004/month — typically means earning about $80,160 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Burbank.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Burbank?
- Burbank's median rent of $2,004/month translates to about $80,160 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $219,574 a year for principal and interest on the $959,700 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Burbank safe?
- Per FBI Crime Data Explorer figures, Burbank's violent crime rate was 341.8 per 100,000 residents in 2025.
See the full salary breakdown for Burbank →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Burbank's.