Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,851, settled in 1873.
Tipton earns a D, ranked 698th of 841 in California, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. The median household income is $45K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Tipton, where California’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Tipton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,185 in 1980, 2,519 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and 4 maps from 1925 on.
Tipton is unincorporated, so Tulare County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Tipton.
Tipton has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the California rate.
The median property tax bill is $1,380, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
26% of Tipton households own their home. The typical Tipton home is worth about $264,000, up 2.5% in a year, 65% below the California typical home. The median rent in Tipton is $1,370 a month.
| Tipton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 26% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,370 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Tipton Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 485 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Against the 4,090 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tipton’s, it is less healthy than 77%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of adults get no exercise outside work in Tipton. Tipton beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Tipton.
| Tipton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Tipton | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.8% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.3% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 29.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Lindsay weather station, 18 miles away, records that about 116 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 97.5°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.8°.
Tipton has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Tipton’s July high is 98°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Tipton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°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 674 working residents takes 19 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 374 in 2013 to 878.
Most working residents leave Tipton for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Tipton grew to 878 in 2023, 504 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Visalia (10%), Tulare (8%) and Porterville (4%).
| Tipton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Tipton; the nearest are
About 9 of every 100 Tipton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Tipton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 2,519 at the 2020 census, down from 2,543 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Tipton grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #698 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.