2009-0727-CA-Helendale, 2009
Silver Lakes’s story
Silver Lakes in pictures
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Silver LakesCA
In California, this town has 6,977 residents.
Photo: Doc Searls · CC BY 2.0
Population
6,977
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$384K
Census ACS
Household income
$116K
median
Median age
36.1
years
Jobs based here
302
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#451 of 841 in CA
Is Silver Lakes a good place to live?
Silver Lakes’s lowest grade is for hazard risk (D−): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Health is its strong suit: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 71% of the country. A typical home there costs about $384K, 4.3 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. Overall, that makes a C−, good for 451st of 841 in California. On that grade it does better than 24% of U.S. towns. On history, just 80 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse. Silver Lakes’ typical journey to work is 42 minutes, above both the California town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Silver Lakes’ density of trails is 3.2 miles per square mile, above both California’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Silver Lakes stand out
Where Silver Lakes beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Silver Lakes has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020
5,623 counted in 2010 and 6,317 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Silver Lakes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Silver Lakes is from typical.
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →HealthVictor Valley Global Medical Center 15.5 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedC+Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workBOpen →
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.
ClimateMild winters, 100° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.1; 25% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Silver Lakes: who provides what
Silver Lakes is unincorporated, so San Bernardino County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHelendale Community Service DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County provides services here
SchoolsHelendale Elementary School DistrictVictor Valley Union High School District2 districts serve Silver Lakes; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereSan Bernardino Registrar of VotersSan Bernardino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9234292342 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 Silver Lakes.
Silver Lakes has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Los Angeles and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
OutdoorsB−
0.5% of the land in Silver Lakes is protected from building
18 miles of trail wind through 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Helendale Community Park, at 71 acres. Parks and preserves in Silver Lakes: 3, covering 78 acres.
#68for trails in CA
| Silver Lakes | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 20 of 3,620 acres
18 mi
of trails · 3.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Helendale Community Park | — | 71 |
| 2. Parmelee Field | — | 6 |
| 3. Helendale Dog Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Silver Lakes fall behind 61% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Helendale Elementary school district. Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list.
39%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helendale ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 541 | B− |
| Academy of Careers and ExplorationLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 285 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Silver Lakes has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
87% of Silver Lakes’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 12%.
98risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most people working in Silver Lakes commute elsewhere
Silver Lakes has 302 jobs for its 1,812 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 472 in 2013 to 302.
In Silver Lakes, the median household income is $116,000. Just 6% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Silver Lakes dropped by 170, to 302. Also worth knowing: for residents locally, the share who live below the poverty line is 4.9%.
6%work in town
| Silver Lakes | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 42 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Silver Lakes6%
Los Angeles8%
Victorville8%
San Bernardino4%
Apple Valley3%
61 mi
median commute distance
302
jobs based in Silver Lakes
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Silver Lakes earns a B+ for health
Against the 6,327 U.S. towns with household incomes like Silver Lakes’s, it is less healthy than 59%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Silver Lakes is ahead of California on 10 and behind on 6. In Silver Lakes, just over a fifth of adults get no exercise outside work.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Silver Lakes | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
10 better16 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Silver Lakes | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 6.4% |
Victor Valley Global Medical Center
15.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
59th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Silver Lakes
The Victorville weather station, 15 miles away, records that about 119 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 99.8°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.7°.
The January low for Silver Lakes comes to 35°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
100°summer high
| Silver Lakes | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 100°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–61°
Spring47–76°
Summer64–97°
Fall49–80°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 18
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
100°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Silver Lakes sells for about $352K at the median
On the market in Silver Lakes: a median 60 days to sell. Among households here, 85% live in a home they own. In Silver Lakes, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,720 a month.
$352Kmedian sale price
| Silver Lakes | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,720 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
60
days on market
97.3%
sale-to-list price
12
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Silver Lakes
17pages on Silver Lakes
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Silver Lakes; the nearest are
Victor Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · Victorville19.6 mi$1,425 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-San BernardinoUniversity or college · Public · San Bernardino39 mi$8,093 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Silver Lakes residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Get outside
18 miles of trails in Silver Lakes
0.5% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
1
Helendale Community Park71 acres
2
Parmelee Field6 acres
3
Helendale Dog Park1 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Silver Lakes
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Helendale or Silver Lakes is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in the Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert, within San Bernardino County, California. It is on historic Route 66, west of the Mojave Freeway (I-15), between Barstow and Victorville. The name Helendale is used by the USPS, while Silver Lakes is used by the US Census. The 2020 United States census reported Silver Lakes's population was 6,317.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,430 ft
- ZIP code
- 92342
- Area code
- 909
Questions about Silver Lakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Silver Lakes, CA a good place to live?
Silver Lakes grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #451 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Silver Lakes, CA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $384,000, 50% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.