The Town FilesSelma, California
City in Fresno County · population 24,674 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $315,300
- Household income
- $60,241
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 102°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 32.9
Selma is a city of 24,674 people in Fresno County, California. The median home is worth $315,300, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 88% of California towns, better for cycling than 85% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 82% of California towns.
How Selma ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Selma is worth $315,300, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.2 times the median household income of $60,241, which is more affordable than 73% of California towns. Median rent is $1,232 a month. 60.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Selma | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $315,300 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,232 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $60,241 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 60.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Selma
| People | Selma | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 25.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.7% | — |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Selma
July highs average 101.9°F and January lows 38.1°F. About 11.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 124 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 13 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Selma since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on March 8, 1986 about 0.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 12, 2018.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on April 4, 2006.
Severe weather in Fresno County since 1996
Fresno County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Fresno County
Fresno County had 427,076 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,904 a year. Unemployment was 7.5% in 2023; in Selma itself the ACS puts it at 13.3%.
Public schools in Selma
12 public schools with 5,974 students, about 21.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selma High | 9-12 | 1,775 | 19.7 |
| Abraham Lincoln Middle | 7-8 | 922 | 18.8 |
| Eric White Elementary | K-6 | 638 | 24.5 |
| Andrew Jackson Elementary | K-6 | 632 | 23.4 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Elementary | K-6 | 600 | 25.0 |
| Indianola Elementary | K-6 | 417 | 23.2 |
| Woodrow Wilson Elementary | K-6 | 342 | 21.4 |
| Terry Elementary | K-6 | 231 | 25.7 |
| James Garfield Elementary | K-6 | 226 | 22.6 |
| Heartland High (Continuation) | 7-12 | 93 | 15.5 |
| Selma Independent | 7-12 | 89 | 22.3 |
| STRIVE Academy | 7-12 | 9 | — |
Towns near Selma
- Kingsburg, CA4.2 mi · 12,380 people · home $373,800
- Parlier, CA4.7 mi · 14,576 people · home $256,400
- Fowler, CA5.0 mi · 6,700 people · home $379,800
- Reedley, CA9.4 mi · 25,227 people · home $334,800
- Sanger, CA9.4 mi · 26,617 people · home $364,800
- Sunnyside, CA11.8 mi · 4,627 people · home $539,000
- Dinuba, CA12.1 mi · 24,563 people · home $275,000
- Caruthers, CA13.0 mi · 2,613 people · home $334,300
Selma questions
Is Selma, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Selma scores better for retirees than 13% of California towns and quieter than 25%. 12.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.9).
How much does a house cost in Selma?
The median owner-occupied home in Selma is valued at $315,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,241, so homes cost about 5.2 times income. Median rent is $1,232 a month.
What is the weather like in Selma?
July highs average 101.9°F and January lows 38.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Selma get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Selma since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on March 8, 1986. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)