Lake County California - panoramio (4), 2002
Nice’s story
96 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,126 in 1990, 2,929 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2002 and 4 maps from 1938 on.
- 1930Nice is settled
NiceCA
Settled in 1930, this town now has 2,569 residents.
Population
2,569
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$213K
−3.4% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
44.3
years
Jobs based here
529
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#716 of 841 in CA
Is Nice a good place to live?
Incomes are its weak spot: the median household income is $52K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Its strongest is walkability: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns. Homes run about $213K for a typical one, 3.5 times the Clearlake area’s $61K median household income. Overall, that makes a D−, good for 716th of 841 in California. Nationally, it does better than 5% of U.S. towns. Only 7 of the 613 California towns we compare have a lower value of a typical home than Nice. Nice's public schools trail 71% of California towns on state tests and graduation.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · schools, state test and graduation results · Zillow, September 2026.
What makes Nice stand out
Where Nice beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Nice for work
Where Nice’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
529jobs based in Nice
12%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Nice grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Nice is from typical.
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 13 of 20; 9.3% of households have no carA−Open →HealthSutter Lakeside Hospital 3 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesCOpen →
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 Nice: who provides what
Nice is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNice Mutual Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here
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 hereLake County Registrar of VotersLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes95464, 9548595464 85% · 95485 15%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 Nice.
Nice is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has home values still below their peak and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of California.
HousingCost of living grade C
For cost of living, Nice earns a C
The typical value, about $213K, is 21% below its May 2022 peak. At about $213K, home values are down 13% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
In Nice, 57% of households own their home, where California’s towns sit at 64% and U.S. towns at 73%. Its going rate for rent is $1,293 a month. Zillow values the typical Nice home at about $213,000, down 3.4% in a year, 72% below the California typical home.
$213KZillow home value
| Nice | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,293 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Nice$213K
California$762K
−3.4%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Nice has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
28 flood insurance claims have been paid in Nice since 1983. FEMA puts 57% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 24% to earthquakes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Nice after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2020.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
28
paid flood claims since 1983
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
Nice is less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
Against the 6,470 U.S. towns with household incomes like Nice’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Nice is ahead of California on 3 and behind on 13. In Nice, 18% of adults report frequent physical distress, above both California’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (14%). Among adults here, 17% smoke cigarettes.
25%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Nice | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
3 better16 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Nice | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 66.5% | 57.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 5.1% |
Sutter Lakeside Hospital
3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
19th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Nice’s workers commute out
The top destinations are Lakeport (12%), Ukiah (7%) and Upper Lake (7%). Jobs in Nice grew by 59 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 529. The typical journey to work for Nice comes to 34 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 19 miles away.
12%work in town
| Nice | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Nice12%
Lakeport12%
Ukiah7%
Upper Lake7%
North Lakeport3%
19 mi
median commute distance
529
jobs based in Nice
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB+
2.2% of Nice is conserved land
Across 5 parks and preserves: 1.0 miles of trail. The concentration of trails in Nice is 0.6 miles per square mile.
#505for trails in CA
| Nice | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2.2%
conserved · 24 of 1,105 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deer Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Lakeview Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Black Oak Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Nice
The Potter Valley Powerhouse weather station, 22 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 211 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 84% of California places with climate records. January nights average 34.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 81% of California places with climate records; July afternoons average 92.2°.
For Nice, the July high is 92°F. It almost never snows. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
| Nice | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 92°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–55°
Spring42–68°
Summer55–89°
Fall45–74°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nice
18pages on Nice
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nice; the nearest are
DHARMA REALM BUDDHIST UNIVERSITYUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ukiah16.2 miMendocino CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ukiah20.5 mi$1,423 in-state tuitionSonoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rohnert Park55.1 mi$8,624 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Nice residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Nice
Census-designated place in California, United States
Nice is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, California, United States. Nice is located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southeast of Upper Lake, at an elevation of 1,362 feet (415 m). The population was 2,929 at the 2020 census, up from 2,731 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,362 ft
- ZIP code
- 95464
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Nice
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nice, CA a good place to live?
Nice grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #716 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Nice, CA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.