Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 3% of U.S. towns · #824 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Heber was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1998. Below: maps from 1940 on and the census since 1980.
Heber dates its founding to 1903 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1980.
More historic than 3% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Heber is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #824 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Heber’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Heber’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Heber.
Heber was founded in 1903 by the Imperial Land Company. The first post office at Heber opened in 1904, having been established first as Bradtmoore a half mile north. The name honors A.H. Heber, president of the California Development Company.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Heber, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Heber was established at a point where another town had been planned. It has become an important trading point, and an
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
During the same year Mr. L. E. Cooley was the teacher of the school in the Van Horn community, somewhat west of the present town of Heber. This school of Mr. Cooley's was frequently spoken of as a "rag knowledge box" — a name fully indicative of the kind of structure in which the school was taught.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Heber. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Heber.
Grew from 2,221 people in 1980 to 6,896 in 2020, 3 times over.
5 censuses, 1980–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Heber’s Wikipedia page.
In 1903, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Heber’s post office opened in 1904, and the census of 1980 counted 2,221 people here.
Heber is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #824 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
0.0% of Heber’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1998.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
