Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A regional job hub with 738 jobs.
Mendocino’s average trip to work is 51 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 848 California towns, just 2 have a higher median age than Mendocino. Mendocino’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Mendocino has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mendocino Woodlands Recreational Demonstration Area and Mendocino and Headlands Historic District. Mendocino has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Mendocino beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 824 in 2000, 932 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1866 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mendocino is unincorporated, so Mendocino 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 Mendocino.
Its public schools are run by the Mendocino Unified school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino K-8Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 241 | B− |
| Mendocino HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 165 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Most working residents leave Mendocino for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are Fort Bragg (15%), Ukiah (3%) and San Francisco (3%). Half commute less than 24 miles.
| Mendocino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mendocino’s July high is 66°F. Mendocino has warm winters and cool summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
6.7 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Mendocino Headlands State Park, 286 acres with 5.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mendocino Headlands State Park | 5.9 mi | 286 |
| 2. Friendship Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Mendocino Rotary Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Mendocino home is worth about $894,000, up 2.4% in a year, 17% above the California typical home. 88% of Mendocino households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Mendocino. Mendocino beats the California average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 26% of adults have obesity in Mendocino.
| Mendocino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Mendocino | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.7% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mendocino. Close and well known come first.
10 mi BeachGlass Beach
25 mi LighthousePoint Arena Light
7 mi GardenMendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
in town MuseumKelley House Museum
33 mi MuseumGrace Hudson MuseumGlass Beach: Ggerdel - Foto de: Gustavo Gerdel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Point Arena Light: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens: Allie Caulfield, CC BY 2.0 · Kelley House Museum: Daderot, CC0 · Grace Hudson Museum: User:Binksternet, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Mendocino; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Mendocino residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Mendocino’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Mendocino on the National Register of Historic Places.
Place in California, United States
Mendocino (Spanish for "of Mendoza") is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California, United States. The name comes from Cape Mendocino, located 85 miles (137 km) to the north and named by early Spanish navigators in honor of Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain. Despite its small size, the town's scenic location on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean has made it extremely popular as an artists' colony and with vacationers. Mendocino is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Fort Bragg at an elevation of 154 feet (47 m). For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Mendocino as a census-designated place (CDP). The population of the CDP was 932 a…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Mendocino has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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