Princeton 1904 1-31,680 - PCL Map Collection - txu-pclmaps-topo-ca-princeton-1904
Princeton’s story
171 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 3 maps from 1918 on.
- 1855Princeton is settled
PrincetonCA
A town of 365, settled in 1855.
Population
365
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$296K
Census ACS
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
26.5
years
Jobs based here
22
A commuter town
Is Princeton a good place to live?
Princeton’s peak summer temperature is 96°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Princeton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
365 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 Princeton: who provides what
Princeton is unincorporated, so Colusa County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColusa Co. Wwd #2 - PrincetonNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesColusa CountyColusa 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 hereColusa County Clerk-Elections DepartmentColusa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP codes95970, 9593295970 97% · 95932 3%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 Princeton.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Princeton is drought, at a very high overall level
The risk rating from FEMA in Princeton is 86 of 100. 72% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 10%.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Princeton’s kids attend
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. The public schools here belong to the Princeton Joint Unified school district. The 2 public schools in Princeton teach 126 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 83 | C+ |
| Princeton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 43 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, fewer of Princeton’s residents live below the poverty line
Princeton’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. Jobs based in the town fell to 22 in 2023, 26 fewer than in 2013. Among working residents in the town, 1% work locally. The top destinations are Sacramento (7%), Maxwell (7%) and Willows (5%).
1%work in town
| Princeton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Princeton1%
Sacramento7%
Maxwell7%
Willows5%
Yuba City5%
29 mi
median commute distance
22
jobs based in Princeton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–59°
Spring48–75°
Summer61–94°
Fall50–79°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Princeton is
16% of Princeton adults have diabetes. The town beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. Two figures for adults locally: 31% say their health is fair or poor, 18% smoke cigarettes.
| Princeton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better9 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Princeton | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.1% | 71.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.3% | 10.6% |
Glenn Medical Center
13 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Princeton sell for about $313K
For Princeton, the median rent is $1,195 a month. The share of households in Princeton who are owner-occupiers: 69%.
$313Kmedian sale price
| Princeton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,195 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 64% | 73% |
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0% of Princeton is conserved land
1.0 miles of trail. For Princeton, the trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 930 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Princeton
17pages on Princeton
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Princeton; the nearest are
California State University-ChicoUniversity or college · Public · Chico24.5 mi$8,472 in-state tuitionButte CollegeCommunity college · Public · Oroville26.3 mi$1,356 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Princeton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Princeton for work
Where Princeton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
22jobs based in Princeton
1%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Princeton
Census-designated place in California, United States
Princeton (formerly, Ket-tee) is a census-designated place in Colusa County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 82 feet (25 m). Its ZIP code is 95970 and its area code is 530. Princeton's population was 309 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 82 ft
- ZIP code
- 95970
- Area code
- 530
Questions about Princeton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Princeton, CA a good place to live?
Princeton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.