La Honda Creek Headwaters 1856, 1856
La Honda’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1856 and 4 maps from 1940 on.
- 1873La Honda is settled
La HondaCA
The town was settled in 1873 and has 1,269 residents today.
Population
1,269
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.02M
+3% in a year
Household income
$250K
median
Median age
45.5
years
Jobs based here
167
A commuter town
Is La Honda a good place to live?
The best of La Honda’s subject grades is an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 77% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in La Honda, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 39 of California’s 1,058 towns score higher on cost of living. 23% of the land in La Honda is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, at 184 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. La Honda has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes La Honda stand out
Where La Honda beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,269 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How La Honda grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far La Honda is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; earthquakes top the listD−Open →HealthSequoia Hospital 6.9 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income$250K median household incomeB+Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostB+Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 7.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 245 attractions →Levi's Stadium and 205 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around La Honda. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw36 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw17 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
Big draw32 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to La Honda: who provides what
La Honda is unincorporated, so San Mateo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCalifornia Water Service - Bear GulchNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Mateo CountySan Mateo County provides services here
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 hereSan Mateo County Clerk - ElectionsSan Mateo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2024
ZIP codes94020, 9406294020 98% · 94062 2%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 La Honda.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in La Honda is higher
Households in La Honda have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2022. 31% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 28%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingLandslides
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, La Honda’s schools beat 67% of California districts
Its one school is below. Enrollment at La Honda’s public school: 65 students.
67%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Honda ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 65 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
La Honda is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Among adults in La Honda, 72% had a checkup this year. Against the California average, La Honda comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 4. 28% of adults locally have obesity; 32% feel lonely.
76%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| La Honda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
12 better16 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | La Honda | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.4% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
Sequoia Hospital
6.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
The typical home in La Honda is valued at about $1.02M
Typical home values rose 3% in the year to September 2026. In La Honda, 70% of households own their home.
$1.02MZillow home value
Typical home value
La Honda$1.02M
California$762K
+3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
The median household income in La Honda is higher than in the typical California or U.S. town
The top destinations are San Francisco (14%), San Jose (6%) and Redwood City (6%). For residents in La Honda, the share who live below the poverty line is 5%. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in La Honda dropped by 84, to 167. Also worth knowing: the town’s average trip to work comes in at 40 minutes.
1%work in town
| La Honda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 40 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In La Honda1%
San Francisco14%
San Jose6%
Redwood City6%
Mountain View4%
17 mi
median commute distance
167
jobs based in La Honda
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 22.8% of La Honda
The concentration of trails for La Honda comes to 1.1 miles per square mile. Trails run 4.5 miles in 1 park or preserve.
22.8%conserved
22.8%
conserved · 619 of 2,715 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve | 1.2 mi | 184 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in La Honda
La Honda’s typical July afternoon high is 79°F.
80°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–59°
Spring44–66°
Summer52–78°
Fall48–73°
Dec 15
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
80°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about La Honda
17pages on La Honda
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of La Honda
Palo Alto UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Palo Alto5.9 miFoothill CollegeCommunity college · Public · Los Altos Hills7.8 mi$1,565 in-state tuitionCanada CollegeCommunity college · Public · Redwood City9.1 mi$1,332 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 La Honda residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave La Honda for work
Where La Honda’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
167jobs based in La Honda
1%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About La Honda
Census-designated place in California, United States
La Honda (Spanish for "The Sling") is a census-designated place (CDP) in southern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 979 at the 2020 census. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains between the Santa Clara Valley and California's Pacific coast. La Honda is near the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve and State Route 84 on the ocean side of the Coastal Range. The ZIP Code for La Honda is 94020 and the area code is 650. Land-line numbers in the La Honda telephone exchange follow the pattern 747-xxxx while wired telephones in and around the Middleton Tract (along Portola State Park Road) work out of the Los Altos exchange with 94x-xxxx numbers. Per the U.S. Geologi…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 715 ft
- ZIP code
- 94020
- Area code
- 650
Questions about La Honda
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is La Honda, CA expensive?
That is 7.5 years of the area's median household income ($136,027 across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.