Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fort Bragg earns a D−, 808th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. It reports more crime per resident than 92% of U.S. towns, including 51 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $56K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Fort Bragg’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On history, just 68 of California’s 1,063 towns do better. Homes are expensive, about $545K for a typical one and 8 times the Ukiah area’s $68K median household income.
Where Fort Bragg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Fort Bragg is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the D− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 945 in 1890, 6,983 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Bragg, 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 Fort Bragg.
Fort Bragg is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values still below their peak.
5.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Fort Bragg’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is MacKerricher State Park, 113 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. MacKerricher State Park | 1.5 mi | 113 |
| 2. Otis R. Johnson Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Harold O. Bainbridge Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Fort Bragg Unified school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fort Bragg High, with 569 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bragg MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 376 | – |
| Fort Bragg HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 569 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The violent crime rate in Fort Bragg is 7.1 per 1,000 residents. Fort Bragg reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less. The property crime rate in Fort Bragg is 23.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Fort Bragg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 23.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 2023, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fort Bragg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $545K, is 16% below its January 2022 peak. At about $545K, home values are down 14% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
46% of households own their home in Fort Bragg. The typical Fort Bragg home is worth about $545,000, up 0.5% in a year, 28% below the California typical home.
| Fort Bragg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,290 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 7,869 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fort Bragg’s, it is healthier than 54%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Fort Bragg beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 27% of Fort Bragg adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Fort Bragg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Fort Bragg | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 5.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.9% | 10.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 5.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 42.6°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 63.9°.
Among 846 California towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Fort Bragg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 64°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,650 working residents takes 12.7 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
45% of Fort Bragg’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Mendocino (8%), Ukiah (3%) and Santa Rosa (2%).
| Fort Bragg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 45% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fort Bragg. Close and well known come first.
in town BeachGlass Beach
33 mi Theme parkConfusion Hill
34 mi LighthousePoint Arena Light
2 mi GardenMendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
9 mi MuseumKelley House Museum
38 mi MuseumGrace Hudson MuseumGlass Beach: Ggerdel - Foto de: Gustavo Gerdel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Confusion Hill: Tomas Sennett, Public domain · Point Arena Light: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens: Allie Caulfield, CC BY 2.0 · Kelley House Museum: Daderot, CC0 · Grace Hudson Museum: User:Binksternet, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Fort Bragg; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Fort Bragg residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
2 places in Fort Bragg on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Fort Bragg.
City in California, United States
Fort Bragg is a city along the North Coast of California in Mendocino County. The city is 24 miles (39 km) west of Willits, at an elevation of 85 feet (26 m). Its population was 6,983 at the 2020 census. Fort Bragg is a tourist destination because of its views of the Pacific Ocean. Among its points of interest are Glass Beach and the California Western Railroad (popularly known as the "Skunk Train"). A California Historical Landmark, Fort Bragg was founded in 1857 prior to the American Civil War as a military garrison rather than a fortification. It was named after army officer Braxton Bragg, who at the time had served the U.S. in the Mexican–American War (and would later serve in the Confe…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fort Bragg grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #808 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living 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 D−.
12 notable people were born here, including Jim Ross and Zack Stentz.
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