Stone Building
Happy Valley’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 3 maps from 1932 on.
- 1881Happy Valley is settled
Happy ValleyCA
This town of 5,944 people was settled in 1881.
Population
5,944
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$334K
Census ACS
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
288
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#701 of 841 in CA
Is Happy Valley a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Its weakest is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $334K, 4.6 years of the Redding metro’s $73K median household income. Happy Valley’s overall grade of D puts it better than 5% of U.S. towns, 701st of 841 in California. It lags on walkability as well. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. The town’s midsummer high is 99°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Only 83 of California’s 1,064 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · NOAA normals, 1991–2020 · USGS PAD-US.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Happy Valley for work
Where Happy Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
288jobs based in Happy Valley
6%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Happy Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Happy Valley is from typical.
Hazard riskWildfire tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 7.1% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC−Open →Jobs & income$92K median household income; 288 jobs based hereCOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsC+Open →HealthMercy Medical Center Redding 7.4 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Happy Valley: who provides what
Happy Valley is unincorporated, so Shasta County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClear Creek Csd-Anderson water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesShasta CountyShasta County provides services here
SchoolsAnderson Union High School DistrictHappy Valley Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Happy Valley; 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 hereShasta County Clerk-ElectionsShasta County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9600796007 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 Happy Valley.
Happy Valley has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Redding and beyond, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Happy Valley faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
Since 2017, one flood insurance claim has been paid in Happy Valley. FEMA puts just over three fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 20% to inland flooding.
96risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingEarthquakes
1
paid flood claims since 2017
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Happy Valley’s schools trail 58% of California districts
One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Happy Valley Union Elementary school district. 3 public schools serve Happy Valley, with 464 students in all.
42%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Valley ElementaryLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 242 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsD
0% of Happy Valley is conserved land
21 miles of trail. Happy Valley’s trail network density comes in at 1.2 miles per square mile.
#313for trails in CA
0%
conserved · 0 of 10,812 acres
21 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About half of Happy Valley’s working residents commute to Redding
Happy Valley has 288 jobs for its 1,569 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
In Happy Valley, the average commute is 23 minutes. For most workers, Happy Valley is a place to come home to: only 6% work in town. The top destinations are Redding (48%), Anderson (5%) and Chico (2%). Half of commuters travel less than 9 miles.
6%work in town
| Happy Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Happy Valley6%
Redding48%
Anderson5%
Chico2%
Red Bluff2%
9 mi
median commute distance
288
jobs based in Happy Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Happy Valley
July afternoons average 98.6°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.1°.
Snow is almost unheard of. Happy Valley’s January low stands at 39°F.
99°summer high
| Happy Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 99°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–57°
Spring48–73°
Summer64–95°
Fall52–78°
Dec 13
typical first frost
Feb 13
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
99°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Happy Valley is less healthy than 51% of U.S. towns
Against the 9,686 U.S. towns with household incomes like Happy Valley’s, it is less healthy than 67%, so it trails even them.
Among adults in Happy Valley, 75% had a checkup this year. This California town beats the California average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Happy Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
5 better16 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Happy Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.1% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.1% | 5.1% |
Mercy Medical Center Redding
7.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Happy Valley sells for about $382K at the median
80.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California. The median property tax bill is $2,296, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
A home in Happy Valley typically sold within 26 days of listing. Happy Valley: 87% of households are owner-occupiers. 50% of the homes sold in Happy Valley went for more than their asking price.
$382Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
26
days on market
101.5%
sale-to-list price
5
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 16 attractions →Shasta–Trinity National Forest and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Happy Valley. Close and well known come first.
33 mi National forestShasta–Trinity National Forest
9 mi MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration Park
8 mi National Recreation AreaWhiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area764K visitors a year
8 mi TheatreCascade Theatre
33 mi MuseumWeaverville Joss House State Historic Park
9 mi GardenMcConnell Arboretum & Botanical GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Shasta–Trinity National Forest: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Turtle Bay Exploration Park: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area: RoyalMayfair, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cascade Theatre: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens: Daderot, CC0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Happy Valley
17pages on Happy Valley
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Happy Valley
Shasta Bible College and Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Redding8.8 mi$14,535 tuitionSimpson UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Redding11.1 mi$39,708 tuitionShasta CollegeCommunity college · Public · Redding12.2 mi$1,197 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Happy Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Happy Valley
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Happy Valley is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) in Shasta County, California, United States, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Redding. It lies at an elevation of approximately 850 feet. Its population is 4,949 as of the 2020 census. It is roughly divided into Cloverdale and Olinda across Happy Valley Road at Palm Road. The United States Postal Service delivers mail to the residents of Happy Valley from nearby city Anderson. Happy Valley has a volunteer fire department.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Happy Valley’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Happy Valley.
ReddingHappy Valley
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Valley | #701 | D | C− | — | C+ | B− |
| Redding | #425 | C | D | — | B | B− |
Happy Valley and Redding report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Happy Valley with a neighbor →
Questions about Happy Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Happy Valley, CA a good place to live?
Happy Valley grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #701 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Happy Valley, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $334,000, 56% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.