diff --git a/src/.flake8 b/src/.flake8
index 42ef88a71..8c4d4851a 100644
--- a/src/.flake8
+++ b/src/.flake8
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 max-line-length = 88
 max-complexity = 10
 extend-ignore = E203
+# migrations are auto-generated and often break rules
+exclude=registrar/migrations/*
diff --git a/src/registrar/admin.py b/src/registrar/admin.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dab331c22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/admin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from django.contrib import admin
+from django.contrib.auth.admin import UserAdmin
+from .models import User, UserProfile
+
+
+# edit a user's profile on the user page
+class UserProfileInline(admin.StackedInline):
+    model = UserProfile
+
+
+class MyUserAdmin(UserAdmin):
+    inlines = [UserProfileInline]
+
+
+admin.site.register(User, MyUserAdmin)
diff --git a/src/registrar/apps.py b/src/registrar/apps.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9f1b186ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/apps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+
+class RegistrarConfig(AppConfig):
+
+    """Configure signal handling for our registrar Django application."""
+
+    name = "registrar"
+
+    def ready(self):
+        """Runs when all Django applications have been loaded.
+
+        We use it here to load signals that connect related models.
+        """
+        # noqa here because we are importing something to make the signals
+        # get registered, but not using what we import
+        from . import signals  # noqa
diff --git a/src/registrar/config/settings.py b/src/registrar/config/settings.py
index 03dba9bc1..699bec794 100644
--- a/src/registrar/config/settings.py
+++ b/src/registrar/config/settings.py
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ BASE_DIR = path.resolve().parent.parent
 # SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
 DEBUG = env_debug
 
+# Use our user model instead of the default
+AUTH_USER_MODEL = "registrar.User"
+
 
 # Applications are modular pieces of code.
 # They are provided by Django, by third-parties, or by yourself.
@@ -504,6 +507,10 @@ if DEBUG:
     INSTALLED_APPS += ("nplusone.ext.django",)
     MIDDLEWARE += ("nplusone.ext.django.NPlusOneMiddleware",)
     NPLUSONE_RAISE = True
+    NPLUSONE_WHITELIST = [
+        {"model": "admin.LogEntry", "field": "user"},
+        {"model": "registrar.UserProfile"},
+    ]
 
     # insert the amazing django-debug-toolbar
     INSTALLED_APPS += ("debug_toolbar",)
diff --git a/src/registrar/migrations/0001_initial.py b/src/registrar/migrations/0001_initial.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..df709410c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.1.1 on 2022-09-22 16:05
+
+from django.conf import settings
+import django.contrib.auth.models
+import django.contrib.auth.validators
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import django.db.models.deletion
+import django.utils.timezone
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    initial = True
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("auth", "0012_alter_user_first_name_max_length"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="User",
+            fields=[
+                (
+                    "id",
+                    models.BigAutoField(
+                        auto_created=True,
+                        primary_key=True,
+                        serialize=False,
+                        verbose_name="ID",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("password", models.CharField(max_length=128, verbose_name="password")),
+                (
+                    "last_login",
+                    models.DateTimeField(
+                        blank=True, null=True, verbose_name="last login"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "is_superuser",
+                    models.BooleanField(
+                        default=False,
+                        help_text="Designates that this user has all permissions without explicitly assigning them.",
+                        verbose_name="superuser status",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "username",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        error_messages={
+                            "unique": "A user with that username already exists."
+                        },
+                        help_text="Required. 150 characters or fewer. Letters, digits and @/./+/-/_ only.",
+                        max_length=150,
+                        unique=True,
+                        validators=[
+                            django.contrib.auth.validators.UnicodeUsernameValidator()
+                        ],
+                        verbose_name="username",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "first_name",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        blank=True, max_length=150, verbose_name="first name"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "last_name",
+                    models.CharField(
+                        blank=True, max_length=150, verbose_name="last name"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "email",
+                    models.EmailField(
+                        blank=True, max_length=254, verbose_name="email address"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "is_staff",
+                    models.BooleanField(
+                        default=False,
+                        help_text="Designates whether the user can log into this admin site.",
+                        verbose_name="staff status",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "is_active",
+                    models.BooleanField(
+                        default=True,
+                        help_text="Designates whether this user should be treated as active. Unselect this instead of deleting accounts.",
+                        verbose_name="active",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "date_joined",
+                    models.DateTimeField(
+                        default=django.utils.timezone.now, verbose_name="date joined"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "groups",
+                    models.ManyToManyField(
+                        blank=True,
+                        help_text="The groups this user belongs to. A user will get all permissions granted to each of their groups.",
+                        related_name="user_set",
+                        related_query_name="user",
+                        to="auth.group",
+                        verbose_name="groups",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                (
+                    "user_permissions",
+                    models.ManyToManyField(
+                        blank=True,
+                        help_text="Specific permissions for this user.",
+                        related_name="user_set",
+                        related_query_name="user",
+                        to="auth.permission",
+                        verbose_name="user permissions",
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "verbose_name": "user",
+                "verbose_name_plural": "users",
+                "abstract": False,
+            },
+            managers=[("objects", django.contrib.auth.models.UserManager())],
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="UserProfile",
+            fields=[
+                (
+                    "id",
+                    models.BigAutoField(
+                        auto_created=True,
+                        primary_key=True,
+                        serialize=False,
+                        verbose_name="ID",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("created_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("updated_at", models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                ("street1", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("street2", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("street3", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("city", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("sp", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("pc", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("cc", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("voice", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("fax", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("email", models.CharField(max_length=2)),
+                ("display_name", models.TextField()),
+                (
+                    "user",
+                    models.OneToOneField(
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE,
+                        to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL,
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={"abstract": False},
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/registrar/migrations/0002_alter_userprofile_cc_alter_userprofile_city_and_more.py b/src/registrar/migrations/0002_alter_userprofile_cc_alter_userprofile_city_and_more.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e42b14ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/migrations/0002_alter_userprofile_cc_alter_userprofile_city_and_more.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.1.1 on 2022-09-22 16:51
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("registrar", "0001_initial"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="cc",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="city",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="email",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="fax",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="pc",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="sp",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="street1",
+            field=models.TextField(),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="street2",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="street3",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="voice",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/registrar/migrations/0003_alter_userprofile_street1.py b/src/registrar/migrations/0003_alter_userprofile_street1.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84e7f485a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/migrations/0003_alter_userprofile_street1.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.1.1 on 2022-09-22 16:53
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("registrar", "0002_alter_userprofile_cc_alter_userprofile_city_and_more"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="userprofile",
+            name="street1",
+            field=models.TextField(blank=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/registrar/migrations/__init__.py b/src/registrar/migrations/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/__init__.py b/src/registrar/models/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..852dbad16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/models/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from .models import User, UserProfile
+
+__all__ = [User, UserProfile]
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/models.py b/src/registrar/models/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f96fe0ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/models/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser
+from django.db import models
+
+
+class User(AbstractUser):
+    """
+    A custom user model that performs identically to the default user model
+    but can be customized later.
+    """
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        if self.userprofile.display_name:
+            return self.userprofile.display_name
+        else:
+            return self.username
+
+
+class TimeStampedModel(models.Model):
+    """
+    An abstract base model that provides self-updating
+    `created_at` and `updated_at` fields.
+    """
+
+    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        abstract = True
+        # don't put anything else here, it will be ignored
+
+
+class AddressModel(models.Model):
+    """
+    An abstract base model that provides common fields
+    for postal addresses.
+    """
+
+    # contact's street (null ok)
+    street1 = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's street (null ok)
+    street2 = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's street (null ok)
+    street3 = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's city
+    city = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's state or province (null ok)
+    sp = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's postal code (null ok)
+    pc = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    # contact's country code
+    cc = models.TextField(blank=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        abstract = True
+        # don't put anything else here, it will be ignored
+
+
+class ContactModel(models.Model):
+    """
+    An abstract base model that provides common fields
+    for contact information.
+    """
+
+    voice = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    fax = models.TextField(blank=True)
+    email = models.TextField(blank=True)
+
+    class Meta:
+        abstract = True
+        # don't put anything else here, it will be ignored
+
+
+class UserProfile(TimeStampedModel, ContactModel, AddressModel):
+    user = models.OneToOneField(User, null=True, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
+    display_name = models.TextField()
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        if self.display_name:
+            return self.display_name
+        else:
+            return self.user.username
diff --git a/src/registrar/signals.py b/src/registrar/signals.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..913e07004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registrar/signals.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from django.db.models.signals import post_save
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.dispatch import receiver
+
+from .models import UserProfile
+
+
+@receiver(post_save, sender=User)
+def create_profile(sender, instance, created, **kwargs):
+    if created:
+        UserProfile.objects.create(user=instance)
+
+
+@receiver(post_save, sender=User)
+def save_profile(sender, instance, **kwargs):
+    # instance is a User, it has a profile from the one-to-one relation
+    instance.userprofile.save()