Carnelian BayCA
A town of 391, settled in 1908.
Is Carnelian Bay a good place to live?
Carnelian Bay’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among 847 California towns, just 2 have a lower January low than Carnelian Bay. 31% of the land in Carnelian Bay is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Carnelian Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
391 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Lake Tahoe and 30 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Carnelian Bay. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi LakeLake Tahoe
12 mi LakeDonner Lake
9 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
11 mi State parkDonner Memorial State Park4 mi Ski areaNorthstar at Tahoe Resort125 runs · 2,311 ft vertical15 mi Ski areaSugar Bowl Resort94 runs · 1,452 ft verticalPhoto credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Donner Memorial State Park: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0
Moving to Carnelian Bay: who provides what
Carnelian Bay is unincorporated, so Placer County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carnelian Bay.
Carnelian Bay has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
4.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Carnelian Bay’s trail density is 2.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carnelian Beach West | 0.2 mi | 3 |
| 2. Patton Landing | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Carnelian Bay’s typical home value is about $1.07M
The typical Carnelian Bay home is worth about $1,074,000, up 1.1% in a year, 41% above the California typical home. 89% of households own their home in Carnelian Bay.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Carnelian Bay, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Carnelian Bay has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Carnelian Bay is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Carnelian Bay stands out in California and nationally, with the median household income higher than most
Most working residents leave Carnelian Bay for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Sacramento (7%), Sunnyside-Tahoe City (5%) and Truckee (5%). Half commute less than 62 miles.
| Carnelian Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $248,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fewer of Carnelian Bay’s adults feel lonely than in the typical California or U.S. town
28% of Carnelian Bay adults feel lonely. Carnelian Bay beats the California average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 12% of Carnelian Bay adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Carnelian Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 24% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Carnelian Bay | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
High risk in Carnelian Bay, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Carnelian Bay
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Carnelian Bay; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Carnelian Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Carnelian Bay
Census-designated place in California, United States
Carnelian Bay (formerly, Cornelian Bay) is an unincorporated community on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Placer County, California, United States. The Cornelian Bay post office operated from 1883 to 1887 and from 1891 to 1893. The Carnelian Bay post office opened in 1908. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Carnelian Bay as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population was 518 at the 2020 census. The elevation is 6,325 feet (1,928 m). Nearby cities and towns include: Tahoe Vista, Brockway, Kings Beach, Crystal Bay, Incline Village, Truckee, Ta…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,325 ft
- ZIP code
- 96140
- Area code
- 530
Questions about Carnelian Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Carnelian Bay, CA a good place to live?
Carnelian Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.