Spotswood House · National Register of Historic Places
Potter Valley’s story
156 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1870Potter Valley is settled
Potter ValleyCA
This town of 436 people was settled in 1870.
Spotswood House · Photo: Renata Earles · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
436
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$408K
−1.2% in a year
Household income
$121K
median
Median age
49.4
years
Jobs based here
138
A commuter town
Is Potter Valley a good place to live?
Potter Valley’s average commute is 38 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Spotswood House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Potter Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
436 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Potter Valley: who provides what
Potter Valley is unincorporated, so Mendocino County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesMendocino CountyMendocino 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 hereMendocino County Clerk-ElectionsMendocino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9546995469 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 Potter Valley.
Natural hazards
Potter Valley faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Potter Valley after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. 50% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by drought at 20%.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtEarthquakes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Potter Valley’s kids attend
Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: the Potter Valley Community Unified school district. 4 public schools serve Potter Valley, with 262 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potter Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 143 | – |
| Potter Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 79 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Potter Valley home at about $408K
In Potter Valley, the midpoint rent is $1,629 a month. Typical home values fell 1.2% in the year to September 2026. The share of households in Potter Valley who are owner-occupiers: 68%.
$408KZillow home value
| Potter Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,629 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Potter Valley$408K
California$762K
−1.2%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.7 jobs per working resident, most people in Potter Valley work out of town
Half commute less than 13 miles. 4.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Potter Valley. Jobs here fell by 31 from 2013 to 2023, to 138. The top destinations are Ukiah (22%), Santa Rosa (4%) and Willits (3%).
11%work in town
| Potter Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Potter Valley11%
Ukiah22%
Santa Rosa4%
Willits3%
Lakeport2%
13 mi
median commute distance
138
jobs based in Potter Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than California overall
College graduates make up 30% of adults 25 and older, against 37% across California. People 65 and older are 26% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). Potter Valley’s age of the median resident comes in at 49.4 years.
49.4median age · CA 37.9
| Potter Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.4 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 29% | 29% |
Potter ValleyCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school19%
Some college28%
Associate’s19%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 49% and 70% women
The Census survey reached too few of Potter Valley’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.3 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Potter Valley | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.1% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.4% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.4% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Potter Valley, expect mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 93°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–57°
Spring41–70°
Summer52–90°
Fall43–76°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Potter Valley is
Potter Valley: 28% of adults have obesity. CDC measures, 32 in all: Potter Valley beats California on 5 and trails on 6.
| Potter Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
32 measures vs. California
5 better21 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Potter Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.8% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 6.4% |
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley
12.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,584 acres
4.3 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Potter Valley
18pages on Potter Valley
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Potter Valley
Mendocino CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ukiah10.9 mi$1,423 in-state tuitionDHARMA REALM BUDDHIST UNIVERSITYUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ukiah12.9 mi
About 0 of every 100 Potter Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Potter Valley for work
Where Potter Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
138jobs based in Potter Valley
11%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Potter Valley
3 notable people were born in Potter Valley.
About Potter Valley
Census-designated place in California, United States
Potter Valley is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located 18 miles (29 km) north-northeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of 948 feet (289 m) at the headwaters of the East Fork Russian River. The CDP population was 665 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 948 ft
- ZIP code
- 95469
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Potter Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Potter Valley, CA a good place to live?
Potter Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Potter Valley, CA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Charles G. Clarke and Grant Carpenter.