Catheys Valley Monument Made of Mariposite Rock, 2016
Catheys Valley’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 4 maps from 1920 on.
- 1879Catheys Valley is settled
Catheys ValleyCA
The town was settled in 1879 and has 939 residents today.
Photo: Foo39 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
939
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$474K
−0.2% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
60.7
years
Jobs based here
82
A commuter town
Is Catheys Valley a good place to live?
Catheys Valley’s midpoint age is 60.7 years, where California’s towns sit at 39 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Of the 848 California towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Catheys Valley. Catheys Valley’s concentration of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Catheys Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
939 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Catheys Valley: who provides what
Catheys Valley is unincorporated, so Mariposa County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesMariposa CountyMariposa County provides services here
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 hereMariposa County Elections DepartmentMariposa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9530695306 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 Catheys Valley.
Who lives here
43% of residents are 65 or older
For adults 25 and older in Catheys Valley, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 39%.
60.7median age · CA 37.9
Catheys ValleyCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma12%
High school27%
Some college13%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Catheys Valley | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.8% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.4% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 22.5% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.3% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Catheys Valley’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Catheys Valley’s only public school teaches 140 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Foothill CharterLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 140 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Catheys Valley has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from heat waves
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 98% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2023, has brought federal aid to Catheys Valley households. 48% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from heat waves, followed by wildfires at 29%.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Heat wavesWildfireInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$474KZillow home value
Typical home value
Catheys Valley$474K
California$762K
−0.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Catheys Valley work out of town
The share of working residents in Catheys Valley who work locally: 2.6%. Since 2013, Catheys Valley has added 57 jobs, to 82 in 2023. The top destinations are Mariposa (22%), Fresno (4%) and Merced (3%). The median commute is under 60 miles.
3%work in town
| Catheys Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Catheys Valley3%
Mariposa22%
Fresno4%
Merced3%
Sacramento3%
60 mi
median commute distance
82
jobs based in Catheys Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–57°
Spring46–71°
Summer61–93°
Fall49–77°
Nov 25
typical first frost
Feb 26
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Catheys Valley is
33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Catheys Valley. Of 32 CDC measures, Catheys Valley beats the California average on 9 and trails it on 6. Among adults in the town, 75% had a checkup this year and 36% have high blood pressure.
| Catheys Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. California
9 better17 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Catheys Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 6.4% |
John C Fremont Healthcare District
8.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Catheys Valley is conserved land
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 1.2 miles of trail. Catheys Valley has one park or preserve, 4 acres in all.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 7 of 15,068 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Catheys Valley Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Catheys Valley
18pages on Catheys Valley
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Catheys Valley; the nearest are
University of California-MercedUniversity or college · Public · Merced18.4 mi$15,623 in-state tuitionMerced CollegeCommunity college · Public · Merced21.7 mi$1,200 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Catheys Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Catheys Valley for work
Where Catheys Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
82jobs based in Catheys Valley
3%of working residents work in town
60 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Catheys Valley
Census-designated place in California, United States
Catheys Valley (formerly, Cathay and Cathey's Valley) is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California, United States. It lies in Catheys Valley 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Merced and 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Mariposa, at an elevation of 1,325 feet (404 m). As of the 2020 census, Catheys Valley had a population of 829. It was named after Andrew Cathey, a native of North Carolina, who settled in the valley around 1850.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 24 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,325 ft
- ZIP code
- 95306
Questions about Catheys Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Catheys Valley, CA a good place to live?
Catheys Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.