Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 94,092, settled in 1872. 64% more nonprofits per person than the typical California town.
Redding grades C overall, 425th of 841 graded towns in California, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 155 miles of trail and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 85% of U.S. towns. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $385K for a typical one and 5.3 times the Redding metro’s $73K median household income. 61% of working residents work locally in Redding, against 6.6% in California’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Redding is home to Simpson University. Only 34 of California’s 463 towns score higher on civic life.
Where Redding beats most towns.
2 colleges in town.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Redding is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 600 in 1880, 93,611 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Redding, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Redding.
Redding has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of California.
155 miles of trail in 36 parks and preserves. The trail density in Redding is 2.6 miles per square mile. Turtle Bay Exploration Park North, at 271 acres with 4.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.4% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Turtle Bay Exploration Park North | 4.2 mi | 271 |
| 2. Clover Creek Preserve | 2.9 mi | 117 |
| 3. Lema Ranch | 1.4 mi | 177 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Three of its 45 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Creek ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 839 | B+ |
| Shasta HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,268 | A |
| University PreparatoryTop results in townGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 1,009 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
55% of Redding households own their home. The typical Redding home is worth about $385,000, about the same as a year ago, 49% below the California typical home. Redding’s median rent is $1,379 a month.
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,379 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 52% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 51 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Redding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 98.7°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39°.
Redding has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 99°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 32,549 working residents takes 16.7 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
14% of residents live below the poverty line in Redding. Since 2013, Redding has added 3,154 jobs, to 42,499 in 2023. The top destinations are Anderson (3%), Chico (2%) and Red Bluff (2%).
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.4% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Redding's reported crime rate is close to California's. 685 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Redding beats the California average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
| Redding | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 35% |
| What stands out | Redding | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.6% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Redding. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration Park
in town TheatreCascade Theatre
32 mi National forestShasta–Trinity National Forest
7 mi National Recreation AreaWhiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area764K visitors a year
32 mi MuseumWeaverville Joss House State Historic Park
in town GardenMcConnell Arboretum & Botanical GardensTurtle Bay Exploration Park: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cascade Theatre: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shasta–Trinity National Forest: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area: RoyalMayfair, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens: Daderot, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Redding
About 7 of every 100 Redding residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
5 places in Redding on the National Register of Historic Places.
34 notable people were born in Redding.
City in California, United States
Redding is a city in and the county seat of Shasta County, California, United States, and the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, 162 miles (261 km) north of Sacramento, and 120 miles (190 km) south of California's northern border with Oregon. Its population was 93,611 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Redding.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redding | #425 | C | D | — | B | B− |
| Happy Valley | #701 | D | C− | — | C+ | B− |
| Shasta | — | — | C | — | B+ | B+ |
| Centerville | — | — | D | — | A− | B+ |
| Keswick | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shasta Lake | #635 | D | C | — | C | C |
Shasta and Centerville have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Redding, Happy Valley, Shasta, Centerville and Shasta Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. Keswick isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Redding with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Redding grades C overall, better than 27% of U.S. towns and #425 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
34 notable people were born here, including Megan Rapinoe and Brian Sandoval.
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