LakeWildwoodCalifornia, 2008
Lake Wildwood’s story
Lake Wildwood in pictures
Census counts: 4,868 in 2000, 5,158 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →
Lake WildwoodCA
A town of 4,792.
Bridgeport Covered Bridge · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,792
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$552K
Census ACS
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
57.3
years
Jobs based here
213
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#595 of 841 in CA
Is Lake Wildwood a good place to live?
Lake Wildwood grades D overall, ranked 595th of 841 in California. In its favor, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 73% of the country. Lake Wildwood’s typical rent is $2,507 a month, against $1,895 a month in California’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 20 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse. The typical home is worth about $552K, 6.1 years of the Truckee area’s $90K median household income.
What makes Lake Wildwood stand out
Where Lake Wildwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Lake Wildwood for work
Where Lake Wildwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
213jobs based in Lake Wildwood
3%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lake Wildwood grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lake Wildwood is from typical.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 4.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthSierra Nevada Memorial Hospital 8.1 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBeat 57% of California districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & income$86K median household incomeC+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 →
Getting set up
Moving to Lake Wildwood: who provides what
Lake Wildwood is unincorporated, so Nevada County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNevada Id - Lake Wildwood water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesNevada CountyNevada County provides services here
SchoolsPenn Valley Union Elementary School DistrictNevada Joint Union High School District2 districts serve Lake Wildwood; 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 hereNevada County Clerk - ElectionsNevada County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9594695946 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 Lake Wildwood.
Who lives here
42% of residents are 65 or older
Among adults 25 and older in Lake Wildwood, 46% hold a bachelor’s degree or more. The age of the median resident locally is 57.3 years.
57.3median age · CA 37.9
| Lake Wildwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.3 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
Lake WildwoodCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school22%
Some college22%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.4 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Lake Wildwood | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 19.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.3% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.3% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.3% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Top of a very high hazard risk in Lake Wildwood: inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 55% come from inland flooding and 29% from avalanches. Lake Wildwood’s FEMA risk score is 86 of 100.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Lake Wildwood sends most of its workers out of town
Lake Wildwood has 213 jobs for its 1,400 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Lake Wildwood had 213 jobs in 2023, down 55 from 2013. Commuting out is the norm locally: 3% of working residents work locally. The typical journey to work for Lake Wildwood comes to 35 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 25 miles.
3%work in town
| Lake Wildwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lake Wildwood3%
Grass Valley16%
Nevada City6%
San Francisco4%
Sacramento3%
25 mi
median commute distance
213
jobs based in Lake Wildwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 4% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
More of Lake Wildwood’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical California or U.S. town
The share of adults in Lake Wildwood who feel lonely: 30%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Lake Wildwood is ahead of California on 15 and behind on 7.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Lake Wildwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 36% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
32 measures vs. California
15 better10 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Lake Wildwood | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 14.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.3% | 6.4% |
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
8.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
62nd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
The climate in Lake Wildwood brings mild winters and hot summers
For Lake Wildwood, the peak summer temperature is 93°F.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–56°
Spring46–69°
Summer60–90°
Fall49–75°
Nov 17
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC+
Open space protected for good: 1.5% of Lake Wildwood
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 0.4 miles of trail. Lake Wildwood’s trail network density stands at 0.1 miles per square mile.
1.5%conserved
| Lake Wildwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
1.5%
conserved · 33 of 2,234 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Wildwood Community Center | — | 6 |
| 2. Commodore Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D−
The median home in Lake Wildwood sells for about $505K
A home in Lake Wildwood typically sold within 28 days of listing. 85% of households own their home locally. Sellers in Lake Wildwood got 97.5% of the asking price, typically.
$505Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
28
days on market
97.5%
sale-to-list price
10
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Wildwood
17pages on Lake Wildwood
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake Wildwood; the nearest are
Yuba CollegeCommunity college · Public · Marysville19.7 mi$1,128 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-SacramentoUniversity or college · Public · Sacramento48.1 mi$8,018 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Lake Wildwood residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Lake Wildwood
Place in California, United States
Lake Wildwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 5,158 at the 2020 census, up from 4,991 at the 2010 census. Lake Wildwood is mainly a gated community and news about the CDP is published in a twice a month newspaper, The Wildwood Independent. Local businesses and residences are listed in the annual "Penn Valley Area Directory" published by "Pine Tree Press".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,529 ft
Questions about Lake Wildwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Wildwood, CA a good place to live?
Lake Wildwood grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #595 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lake Wildwood, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $552,000, 28% 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 D−.