Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ione grades C+ overall, ranked 303rd of 841 in California, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with drought at the top. It also does better than most on safety: it reports less crime per resident than 73% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $462K, 5.2 years of the county’s $88K median household income. Ione’s July high is 96°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). On history, just 35 of California’s 1,063 towns do better.
Where Ione beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Preston Castle7,918 counted in 2010 and 5,141 in 2020; an estimated 9,282 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 4.4% since 2020, after a 35.1% drop in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Ione is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1849, comes before those of 94% of the California towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 686 in 1880, a peak of 7,918 in 2010, 5,141 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1993 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ione, 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 Ione.
Ione fares better on crime within California than nationally, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Sacramento and other neighbors.
6.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Ione is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Ione | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pioneer Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Amador County Unified school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ione ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 564 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Ione since 1997.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Ione home is worth about $462,000, about the same as a year ago, 39% below the California typical home. 78% of households own their home in Ione.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 10.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 95% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 10 reported in 2025, 1 per 1,000 residents.
Ione’s property crime rate is 3.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Ione | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Ione beats the California average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 21% of Ione adults get no exercise outside work.
| Ione | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Ione | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.9°.
Ione has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ione has about as many jobs (2,496) as working residents, but only 176 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 1,437 in 2013 to 2,496.
Most working residents leave Ione for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Ione has added 1,059 jobs, to 2,496 in 2023. The top destinations are Sacramento (7%), Jackson (6%) and Martell (3%).
| Ione | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Ione; the nearest are
About 12 of every 100 Ione residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
7 places in Ione on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
Ione ( eye-OWN) is a city in Amador County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census the population is 5,141, which is a 35.1% decrease from the 2010 census. Once known as "Bedbug" and "Freeze Out," Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines during the California gold rush.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ione grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #303 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and B− 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 D.
