Bear River Lake Resort fire damage, 2023
Pioneer’s story
79 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2023 and a map from 1948 on.
- 1947Pioneer is settled
PioneerCA
A town of 1,155, settled in 1947.
Population
1,155
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$337K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
62.2
years
Jobs based here
36
A commuter town
Is Pioneer a good place to live?
The best of Pioneer’s subject grades is a B+ for health; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Pioneer’s median age is 62.2 years, against 39 years in California’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 7 of the 848 California towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Pioneer. Pioneer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,155 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Red CorralBuckhornPioneer
How Pioneer grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Pioneer is from typical.
Hazard riskwildfire tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthSutter Amador Hospital 11.3 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 5.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsB−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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Pioneer: who provides what
Pioneer is unincorporated, so Amador County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAwa Buckhorn Plant water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers52% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAmador CountyAmador 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 hereAmador County ElectionsAmador County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9566695666 99%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 Pioneer.
HousingCost of living grade C−
A typical Pioneer home is worth about $337K
The typical Pioneer home is worth about $337,000, down 0.9% in a year, 56% below the California typical home. 86% of Pioneer households own their home, above both the California town median (64%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Pioneer’s median rent is $1,205 a month.
$337KZillow home value
| Pioneer | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,205 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Pioneer$337K
California$762K
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB−
Pioneer’s schools rank ahead of 52% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Amador County Unified school district. Its one school is below.
52%of CA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Magnet School for the Visual and Performing ArtsLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 171 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Wildfire leads a very high hazard risk in Pioneer
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 97% of U.S. communities.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireAvalanchesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than California overall
People 65 and older are 37% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (24% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
62.2median age · CA 37.9
PioneerCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
29%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school24%
Some college19%
Associate’s23%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 28% and 83% women
The Census survey reached too few of Pioneer’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±27.6 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Pioneer | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0.8% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 29.4% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.6% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.4% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 22.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.1% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Pioneer’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Pioneer for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Pioneer is 32 minutes. Since 2013, Pioneer has lost 108 jobs, to 36 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Pioneer | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Pioneer0%
Jackson6%
Sacramento6%
Sutter Creek3%
San Francisco3%
51 mi
median commute distance
36
jobs based in Pioneer
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Residents of Pioneer are healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Pioneer beats the California average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Pioneer.
68%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Pioneer | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 72% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
13 better12 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Pioneer | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12% | 6.4% |
Sutter Amador Hospital
11.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Pioneer, expect mild winters and hot summers
Pioneer has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–54°
Spring43–66°
Summer60–88°
Fall49–73°
Dec 11
typical first frost
Mar 4
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pioneer
16pages on Pioneer
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pioneer; the nearest are
Columbia CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sonora29.9 mi$1,282 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-SacramentoUniversity or college · Public · Sacramento46.1 mi$8,018 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Pioneer residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Pioneer for work
Where Pioneer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
36jobs based in Pioneer
0%of working residents work in town
51 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Pioneer
Census-designated place in California, United States
Pioneer is a census-designated place in Amador County, California, United States. It is located 5 miles (8 km) east-northeast of Pine Grove, at an elevation of 2,986 ft (910 m) along State Route 88. The community is served by ZIP code 95666 and area code 209. The population was 1,066 at the 2020 census. Pioneer Station, built circa 1925, is located in Pioneer; however, it was never a Pony Express stop, a popular fallacy. It was a general store selling gas, water, and offering camping sites. A post office opened in Pioneer in 1947.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,986 ft
- ZIP code
- 95666
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Pioneer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pioneer, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($88,044 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−.