Diseño del Rancho Castec 1854 Castaic California Kern Los Angeles, 1854
Castaic’s story
Castaic in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1854 and 5 maps from 1903 on.
Explore the history →CastaicCA
A town of 17,999.
Population
17,999
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$795K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$130K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
1,565
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#196 of 841 in CA
What should you know before moving to Castaic?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Overall it grades B−, 196th among California's 841 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 85% of the country and the median household earns $130K. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $795K for a typical one and 8.3 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. Castaic’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, below both California’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Violin Canyon Open Space, at 370 acres. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 68% of U.S. towns.
What makes Castaic stand out
Where Castaic beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Castaic for work
Where Castaic’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,565jobs based in Castaic
3%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Castaic grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Castaic is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingD−Open →HealthAdventist Health Simi Valley 14.5 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 95° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$795K typical home, down 0.4% in a year; 17 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.9–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 233 attractions →Six Flags Magic Mountain and 169 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Castaic. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi Theme parkSix Flags Magic Mountain3.3M visitors a year
Big draw31 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw8 mi DamSt. Francis Dam
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw30 mi LandmarkHollywood SignSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Alton, CC BY 3.0 · Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · St. Francis Dam: Stearns, H.T. USGS, Public domain · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hollywood Sign: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Castaic: who provides what
Castaic is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSanta Clarita Valley Water AgencyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLos Angeles CountyLos Angeles County provides services here
SchoolsCastaic Union School DistrictWilliam S. Hart Union High School District2 districts serve Castaic; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLos Angeles Registrar-Recorder County ClerkLos Angeles County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9138491384 100%Census 2020
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 Castaic.
Castaic has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, has less tooth loss than most of California and sends most of its workers to Los Angeles and beyond.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Castaic faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Castaic since 2005.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
1
paid flood claims since 2005
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
Castaic’s public schools outperform 81% of California districts
Its A− for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $795K.
Its public schools are run by the Castaic Union school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
81%of CA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 490 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Castaic’s grade for health is an A−
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 6.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 4,561 U.S. towns with household incomes like Castaic’s, it is healthier than 57%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
25% of adults have obesity in Castaic, below both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 39% of Castaic adults feel lonely. Castaic beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
85%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Castaic | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
32 measures vs. California
16 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Castaic | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 10.6% |
| More binge drinkers | 17.4% | 15.3% |
Adventist Health Simi Valley
14.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
76th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About one in three of Castaic’s working residents commute to Los Angeles
Castaic has 1,565 jobs for its 10,519 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 1,104 in 2013 to 1,565.
Most working residents leave Castaic for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Castaic is 31 minutes. Since 2013, Castaic has added 461 jobs, to 1,565 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Castaic | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $130,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Castaic3%
Los Angeles32%
Santa Clarita15%
Burbank5%
Glendale2%
30 mi
median commute distance
1,565
jobs based in Castaic
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Castaic, expect mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 40.9°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 93.4°.
Castaic has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Castaic’s July high is 93°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
95°summer high
| Castaic | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 41°F | 40°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–64°
Spring47–74°
Summer60–92°
Fall52–80°
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
8.6%conserved
8.6%
conserved · 398 of 4,636 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Violin Canyon Open Space | — | 370 |
| 2. Castaic Lake State Recreation Area | — | 8 |
| 3. Hasley Canyon Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than California overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 20% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (22% statewide). 42% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Castaic.
37.9median age · CA 37.9
| Castaic | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 26% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 39.1 years | 40.5 years |
CastaicCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school16%
Some college22%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s29%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.6, men 38.4.
| Castaic | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16.1% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HousingCost of living grade D−
Castaic’s grade for cost of living is a D−
72.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California.
$795KZillow home value
Typical home value
Castaic$795K
California$762K
Market temperature
17
days on market
100.2%
sale-to-list price
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
12
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Castaic
18pages on Castaic
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Castaic
College of the CanyonsCommunity college · Public · Santa Clarita6.2 mi$1,166 in-state tuitionCalifornia Institute of the ArtsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Valencia6.9 mi$58,996 tuitionThe Master's University and SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santa Clarita9.3 mi$39,020 tuition
About 7 of every 100 Castaic residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Castaic
Census-designated place in California, United States
Castaic ( ) (Chumash: Kaštiq; Spanish: Castéc) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 18,937. Tens of thousands of motorists pass through Castaic daily as they drive to or from Los Angeles on Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway). Castaic Lake is part of the California Water Project and is the site of a hydro-electric power plant. Castaic is 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Los Angeles Union Station and northwest of the city of Santa Clarita. The Castaic Range War went on for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resulting in dozens of deaths befor…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,280 ft
- ZIP code
- 91310, 91384
Castaic’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Castaic.
Hasley CanyonCastaic
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castaic | #196 | B− | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Hasley Canyon | — | — | D− | — | A− | B |
Hasley Canyon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Castaic and Hasley Canyon report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Castaic with a neighbor →
Questions about Castaic
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Castaic, CA a good place to live?
Castaic grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #196 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Castaic, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.