Sierraville School · National Register of Historic Places
Sierraville’s story
127 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1899Sierraville is settled
SierravilleCA
A town of 351, settled in 1899.
Sierraville School · Photo: Rifflebox · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
351
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$425K
−5.5% in a year
Median age
40.4
years
Jobs based here
20
A commuter town
Is Sierraville a good place to live?
Sierraville’s typical journey to work is 49 minutes, above both the California town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 848 in California we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Sierraville. Sierraville School and Webber Lake Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sierraville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
351 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 Sierraville: who provides what
Sierraville is unincorporated, so Sierra County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPlumas-Sierra Rural Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterSierraville P.u.d. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSierra CountySierra 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 hereSierra County Clerk-ElectionsSierra County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9612696126 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 Sierraville.
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Sierraville, with inland flooding at the top
43% of Sierraville’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 41%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| William R. Rouse ROPLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Sierraville’s typical home value is about $425K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values slipped 5.5%. The share of households in Sierraville who are owner-occupiers: 80%.
$425KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sierraville$425K
California$762K
−5.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Fewer of Sierraville’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical California or U.S. town
The top destinations are Truckee (18%), Loyalton (11%) and Downieville (11%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sierraville0%
Truckee18%
Loyalton11%
Downieville11%
San Francisco5%
25 mi
median commute distance
20
jobs based in Sierraville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Outdoors
20.9% of Sierraville is conserved land
Tahoe National Forest, at 557 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Trails total 3.6 miles in 1 park or preserve. Sierraville’s density of trails stands at 0.7 miles per square mile.
20.9%conserved
20.9%
conserved · 668 of 3,198 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tahoe National Forest | 2.6 mi | 557 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
The climate in Sierraville brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Its midsummer high stands at 85°F.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–45°
Spring30–59°
Summer43–82°
Fall32–65°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 11
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Sierraville stands out in California and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
18% of adults report frequent mental distress in Sierraville. The town beats the California average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Sierraville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 31% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
8 better12 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Sierraville | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 5.1% |
Eastern Plumas Hospital - Portola Campus
16.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 36 attractions →Lake Tahoe and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sierraville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Tahoe
19 mi LakeDonner Lake
28 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
19 mi State parkDonner Memorial State Park20 mi Ski areaSugar Bowl Resort94 runs · 1,452 ft vertical
29 mi Stadium & arenaMackay StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Donner Memorial State Park: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0 · Mackay Stadium: Lanski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sierraville
17pages on Sierraville
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sierraville; the nearest are
University of Nevada-RenoUniversity or college · Public · Reno, NV29.2 mi$9,578 in-state tuitionLake Tahoe Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · South Lake Tahoe49.9 mi$1,131 in-state tuition
College town 19 of every 100 Sierraville residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Sierraville for work
Where Sierraville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
20jobs based in Sierraville
0%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Sierraville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sierraville, CA a good place to live?
Sierraville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.