Heard's Market, Route 395, 1991
Litchfield’s story
112 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1991 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1914Litchfield is settled
LitchfieldCA
A town settled in 1914, now home to 65 people.
Standish Hall · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Is Litchfield a good place to live?
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Litchfield, above both California’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 848 California towns we compare, none has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Litchfield. Litchfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
65 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Litchfield: who provides what
Litchfield is unincorporated, so Lassen County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLassen Municipal Utility DistrictEIAHIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesLassen CountyLassen County provides services here
SchoolsLassen Union High School DistrictShaffer Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Litchfield; 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 hereLassen County Clerk, Registrar of VotersLassen County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code9611796117 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 Litchfield.
Housing
A typical Litchfield home is worth about $297K
Typical home values rose 7.6% in the year to September 2026.
$297KZillow home value
Typical home value
Litchfield$297K
California$762K
+7.6%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Litchfield’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Shaffer Union Elementary school district. 246 students attend Litchfield’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaffer ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 246 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Litchfield, with inland flooding at the top
Federal aid has come to Litchfield households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2021. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage here than in 83% of U.S. communities. 35% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 34%.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–45°
Spring34–63°
Summer50–87°
Fall36–68°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Litchfield stands out in California and nationally, with more of its adults who smoke cigarettes
Among adults in Litchfield, 74% had a checkup this year. The town beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. Two figures for adults locally: 20% report frequent physical distress, 22% report frequent mental distress.
| Litchfield | Typical California town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Litchfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.2% | 71.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 5.1% |
Banner Lassen Medical Center
13.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Litchfield
14pages on Litchfield
The big questions
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Litchfield
About 0 of every 100 Litchfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Questions about Litchfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Litchfield, CA a good place to live?
Litchfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.