Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,137, settled in 1851.
The best of Mariposa’s subject grades is an A for walkability; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 37% of residents live below the poverty line in Mariposa, where California’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On incomes, just 11 of California’s 1,056 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Mariposa has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mariposa County Courthouse and Mariposa County High School Auditorium. Mariposa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Mariposa beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,173 counted in 2010 and 1,526 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Mariposa is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mariposa is unincorporated, so Mariposa 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Mariposa.
Mariposa’s median age is 59 years, above both California’s towns (39 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). 38% of Mariposa adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 42% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 4% of residents (24% statewide).
| Mariposa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 76 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±6.8 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Mariposa | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.9% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19.4% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 20.4% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.1% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.2% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by the Mariposa County Unified school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariposa ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 386 | B− |
| Mariposa County HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 461 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The median household income in Mariposa is $41,000. Since 2013, Mariposa has added 1,198 jobs, to 2,510 in 2023. The average trip to work in Mariposa is 35 minutes.
| Mariposa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Mariposa home is worth about $386,000, down 1.1% in a year, 49% below the California typical home. Mariposa’s median rent is $593 a month.
| Mariposa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $593 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 51% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mariposa has mild winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 94° and January nights drop to 36°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Mariposa County Fairgrounds, at 36 acres.
| Mariposa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mariposa County Fairgrounds | — | 36 |
| 2. Mariposa Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Mariposa Art Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Mariposa beats the California average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 38% of adults have high blood pressure in Mariposa.
| Mariposa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Mariposa | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.7% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mariposa. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
Big draw30 mi MountainHalf Dome
33 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
28 mi WaterfallYosemite Falls
25 mi AttractionTaft Point
28 mi AttractionGlacier PointYosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Half Dome: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yosemite Falls: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Taft Point: Dave from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Glacier Point: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Mariposa; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Mariposa residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
4 places in Mariposa on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Mariposa.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Mariposa ( ; Spanish for "Butterfly") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 1,526 at the 2020 census. Named for the monarch butterflies that overwinter there, the community's history is deeply intertwined with the California Gold Rush of the 19th century. During the California Gold Rush, prospectors flocked to Mariposa for its rich mineral resources in streams and underground veins. Among them was John C. Frémont, Mariposa's most prominent resident, who leveraged his extensive mineral claims to achieve national prominence. He became the first U.S. senator from California and t…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 5.6 years of the area's median household income ($68,412 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Jacoby Shaddix and George Radanovich.
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