Lake CaliforniaCA
A town of 3,808.
Is Lake California a good place to live?
Lake California earns a D, 562nd of 841 graded towns in California State. What it does well: residents are healthier than 74% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Lake California’s July high is 98°F, above both the California State town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). On walkability, just 22 of California State’s 1,063 towns do worse. Lake California has 1 place on the National Register.
What makes Lake California stand out
Where Lake California beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Lake California has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
3,054 counted in 2010 and 3,377 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Lake California grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California State), ordered by how far Lake California is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Lake California: who provides what
Lake California is unincorporated, so Tehama County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Lake California.
Lake California has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Redding and beyond, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Lake California
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
About one in three of Lake California’s working residents commute to Redding
Lake California has 79 jobs for its 1,412 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Lake California for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Lake California grew to 79 in 2023, 38 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Redding (31%), Red Bluff (7%) and Anderson (6%).
| Lake California | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.4% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For health, Lake California earns a B+
28% of Lake California adults have obesity. Lake California beats the California State average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 20% of Lake California adults get no exercise outside work.
| Lake California | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lake California | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake California has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
4.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
| Lake California | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lake California has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 98.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.8°.
Lake California has mild winters and hot summers. Lake California’s January low is 39°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
An age mix much like California State’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the California State average. 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lake California.
| Lake California | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 16% | 18% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.1 points. Across California State, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 82% are men (CA 51%).
| Lake California | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 34.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,800, single groups can be off by several points
Homes in Lake California sell for about $318K
79.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California State.
The median rent in Lake California is $1,606 a month.
| Lake California | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,606 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lassen Volcanic National Park and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake California. Close and well known come first.
31 mi National ParkLassen Volcanic National Park505K visitors a year
38 mi MountainLassen Peak
18 mi MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration Park
18 mi TheatreCascade Theatre
21 mi National Recreation AreaWhiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area764K visitors a year
36 mi MuseumLoomis MuseumPhoto credits
Lassen Volcanic National Park: en:User:Mav, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lassen Peak: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Turtle Bay Exploration Park: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cascade Theatre: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area: RoyalMayfair, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Loomis Museum: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Lake California
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake California; the nearest are
About 10 of every 100 Lake California residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California State.
99% of working residents leave Lake California for work
Where Lake California’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Lake California
Census-designated place in California, United States
Lake California is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tehama County, California, United States. Lake California sits at an elevation of 597 feet (182 m). The 2020 United States census reported Lake California's population was 3,377.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 597 ft
Questions about Lake California
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake California, CA a good place to live?
Lake California grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #562 of 841 in California State. It grades B+ for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lake California, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $353,000, 54% below the California State 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 D−.