Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Corning earns a D−, 802nd of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of safety and schools. Its police reported 46 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. Its schools rank behind 85% of the state's. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 65% of U.S. towns. Corning’s July high is 97°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Maywood Woman's Club is on the National Register of Historic Places. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 79% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
Where Corning beats most towns.
Where Corning’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Corning is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 210 in 1890, 8,244 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 3 maps from 1904 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Corning, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Corning.
Corning has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values still below their peak, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
The typical value, about $293K, is 7% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $1,729, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Corning’s median rent is $961 a month. The typical Corning home is worth about $293,000, up 3% in a year, 61% below the California typical home. 52% of Corning households own their home.
| Corning | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $961 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 52% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Corning Union Elementary school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Corning Union High, with 974 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive View ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 549 | C− |
| Corning Union HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 974 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate in Corning is 5.7 per 1,000 residents. Corning reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less.
| Corning | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.9 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Since 1983, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Corning.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 3,000 working residents takes 18.2 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most working residents leave Corning for work: only 15% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Corning. Since 2013, Corning has added 295 jobs, to 2,141 in 2023.
| Corning | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The nearest emergency room, Enloe Health, is 21.8 miles away in a straight line. Against the 7,902 U.S. towns with household incomes like Corning’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Corning beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
| Corning | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Corning | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17% | 10.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.5% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.9% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Corning | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Corning Community Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 2. Estil C Clark Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Northside Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 96.6°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.7°.
Corning has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Corning; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Corning residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
5 notable people were born in Corning.
City in California, United States
Corning is a city in Tehama County, California, United States that is located approximately 19 miles (31 km) south of Red Bluff and about 100 miles (160 km) north of Sacramento. The population was 8,244 at the 2020 census, up from 7,663 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Corning grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #802 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
5 notable people were born here, including Blaire White and Ralph Goings.
