Meadow Vista, United States (Unsplash), 2015
Meadow Vista’s story
74 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,683 in 1980, 3,263 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2015.
- 1952Meadow Vista is settled
Meadow VistaCA
A town of 3,162, settled in 1952.
Population
3,162
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$646K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$101K
median
Median age
58.5
years
Jobs based here
418
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#177 of 841 in CA
Is Meadow Vista a good place to live?
Where it does best is health (A): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 86% of the country. It is strong on schools as well (A−): its schools outperform 78% of the state's. The weak point is cost of living (D) — the typical home is worth about $646K, 6.6 years of the Sacramento metro’s $97K median household income. All told, that adds up to a B− overall and a rank of 177th of 841 in California. Nationally, it does better than 53% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Meadow Vista Park, at 20 acres. 37% of residents are 65 or older here, where California’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 18%. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Meadow Vista stand out
Where Meadow Vista beats most towns.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Meadow Vista for work
Where Meadow Vista’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
418jobs based in Meadow Vista
5%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Meadow Vista grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Meadow Vista is from typical.
Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →HealthSutter Auburn Faith Hospital 6.4 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedA−Open →Jobs & income$101K median household income; 418 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageDOpen →
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 Meadow Vista: who provides what
Meadow Vista is unincorporated, so Placer County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMeadow Vista Cwd water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPlacer CountyPlacer County provides services here
SchoolsPlacer Hills Union Elementary School DistrictPlacer Union High School District2 districts serve Meadow Vista; 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 herePlacer County Registrar of VotersPlacer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP code9572295722 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 Meadow Vista.
Who lives here
The median age in Meadow Vista is higher than in most of California or the rest of the country
For adults 25 and older in Meadow Vista, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 42%. In Meadow Vista, 16% of residents are under 18.
58.5median age · CA 37.9
| Meadow Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 37% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 58.5 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 29% | 29% |
Meadow VistaCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school15%
Some college30%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Meadow Vista | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.7% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.8% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.8% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24.6% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 15.3% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,200, single groups can be off by several points
SchoolsA−
For schools, Meadow Vista earns an A−
Its one school is below. The Placer Hills Union Elementary school district runs its public schools. Meadow Vista’s only public school teaches 367 students.
78%of CA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Hills ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 367 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
For health, Meadow Vista earns an A
Among adults in Meadow Vista, 16% say their health is fair or poor. This California town does better than the California average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 5. In Meadow Vista, 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 18% get no exercise outside work.
86%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Meadow Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
15 better12 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Meadow Vista | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 6.4% |
Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
6.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
77th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB−
Meadow Vista keeps 4.2% of its land conserved
The concentration of trails for Meadow Vista comes to 1.1 miles per square mile. 5.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
#365for trails in CA
| Meadow Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
4.2%
conserved · 145 of 3,460 acres
5.7 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meadow Vista Park | 0.6 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most of Meadow Vista’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.3 jobs for each of them
Half of commuters travel less than 29 miles. Meadow Vista’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Most people who work leave Meadow Vista to do it: just 5% work in town. 4.8% of Meadow Vista residents live below the poverty line.
5%work in town
| Meadow Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Meadow Vista5%
Sacramento9%
North Auburn8%
Auburn7%
Roseville6%
29 mi
median commute distance
418
jobs based in Meadow Vista
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Meadow Vista, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Meadow Vista break down as 61% from inland flooding and 34% from wildfires. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 77% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims here since 2005: one.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
1
paid flood claims since 2005
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers: that is Meadow Vista’s year
July afternoons reach 93° and January nights drop to 37°.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–56°
Spring45–68°
Summer60–90°
Fall50–75°
Dec 5
typical first frost
Feb 25
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Meadow Vista earns a D
The median rent in Meadow Vista is $1,808 a month. The typical home value locally is about $646,000, up 2.8% in a year, 15% below the California typical home. The share of households in Meadow Vista who own their home: 90%.
$646KZillow home value
| Meadow Vista | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 90% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,808 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Meadow Vista$646K
California$762K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 49 attractions →ARCO Arena and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Meadow Vista. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Stadium & arenaARCO Arena
14 mi State parkEmpire Mine State Historic Park
38 mi State parkSutter's Fort
37 mi Stadium & arenaHornet Stadium
38 mi State parkGovernor's Mansion State Historic Park
38 mi MuseumCalifornia State Railroad Museum500K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
ARCO Arena: CLopez63, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Empire Mine State Historic Park: Beej71, CC BY 2.5 · Sutter's Fort: Ian Howard, CC BY 2.5 · Hornet Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Governor's Mansion State Historic Park: Mark James Miller, CC BY 3.0 · California State Railroad Museum: The original uploader was Swampyank at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Meadow Vista
17pages on Meadow Vista
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Meadow Vista; the nearest are
Sierra CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rocklin17.2 mi$1,446 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-SacramentoUniversity or college · Public · Sacramento36.9 mi$8,018 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Meadow Vista residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Meadow Vista
Census-designated place in California, United States
Meadow Vista is a census-designated place (CDP) in Placer County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. The population was 3,263 at the 2020 census, up from 3,217 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,713 ft
- ZIP code
- 95722
- Area code
- 530
Questions about Meadow Vista
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Meadow Vista, CA a good place to live?
Meadow Vista grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #177 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Meadow Vista, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.