Pine Valley Sign, 2006
Pine Valley’s story
102 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2006.
- 1924Pine Valley is settled
Pine ValleyCA
A town of 1,786, settled in 1924.
Photo: Rsduhamel at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,786
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$628K
Census ACS
Household income
$133K
median
Median age
42.8
years
Jobs based here
103
A commuter town
Is Pine Valley a good place to live?
Pine Valley’s best subject grades are an A− for incomes and the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Pine Valley’s average trip to work is 42 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 5 of California’s 1,064 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. 80% of the land in Pine Valley is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Cleveland National Forest, 3,532 acres with 8.9 miles of trail. Pine Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pine Valley stand out
Where Pine Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Pine Valley for work
Where Pine Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
103jobs based in Pine Valley
2%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Pine Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Pine Valley is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; wildfire tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & income$133K median household income; 103 jobs based hereA−Open →HealthGrossmont Hospital 29.2 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $628K, 5.9 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →
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.
ClimateCold winters, 90° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.8; 27% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Pine Valley: who provides what
Pine Valley is unincorporated, so San Diego County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSDG&E45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPine Valley Mutual Wc water system8 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Diego CountySan Diego 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 hereSan Diego Registrar of VotersSan Diego County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9196291962 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 Pine Valley.
OutdoorsA−
Nearly a third of Pine Valley is conserved land
9.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Pine Valley’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile.
79.8%conserved
79.8%
conserved · 3,646 of 4,567 acres
9.0 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cleveland National Forest | 8.9 mi | 3,532 |
| 2. Pine Valley County Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Pine Valley’s schools trail 65% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the JCS - Pine Valley District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
35%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCS - Pine ValleyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 184 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Pine Valley stands out in California and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
The FEMA risk score in Pine Valley is 100 of 100.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than California overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 25% of residents (39% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (16% statewide). 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
42.8median age · CA 37.9
| Pine Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.8 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
Pine ValleyCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school23%
Some college37%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.8 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Pine Valley | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.8% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.3% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 37.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Fewer of Pine Valley’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical California or U.S. town
2.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Pine Valley. Most working residents leave Pine Valley for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are San Diego (29%), El Cajon (6%) and Alpine (5%).
2%work in town
| Pine Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $133,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pine Valley2%
San Diego29%
El Cajon6%
Alpine5%
Santee4%
36 mi
median commute distance
103
jobs based in Pine Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Pine Valley are healthier than 74% of U.S. towns
Pine Valley beats the California average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 27% of Pine Valley adults have obesity.
74%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Pine Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 72% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. California
12 better13 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Pine Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 6.4% |
Grossmont Hospital
29.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Pine Valley has four seasons and hot summers
Pine Valley has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 89° and January nights drop to 35°.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–57°
Spring39–66°
Summer54–87°
Fall45–74°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Pine Valley sell for about $875K
$875Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pine Valley
17pages on Pine Valley
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pine Valley; the nearest are
Southern California SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · El Cajon23.1 mi$19,080 tuitionCuyamaca CollegeCommunity college · Public · El Cajon26 mi$1,346 in-state tuitionSan Diego State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · San Diego32.9 mi$8,728 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Pine Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Pine Valley
Census-designated place in California, United States
Pine Valley is a community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Cuyamaca Mountains of the Mountain Empire area, in southeastern San Diego County, California. The population was 1,645 at the 2020 census, up from 1,510 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,737 ft
- ZIP code
- 91962
Questions about Pine Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pine Valley, CA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $628,000, 18% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.