Valley WellsCA
A town.
Is Valley Wells a good place to live?
Valley Wells’ concentration of trails is 2.1 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Argus Range Wilderness, at 139 acres. We don’t grade Valley Wells yet; the figures below are still real.
Moving to Valley Wells: who provides what
Valley Wells is unincorporated, so Inyo 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Valley Wells.
Natural hazards: high risk in Valley Wells, mostly avalanches
In Valley Wells, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 79 of 100, below the California town median (88 of 100) but above the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Expected losses in Valley Wells break down as 37% from avalanches and 26% from heat waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, more of Valley Wells’ adults binge drink
Among adults in Valley Wells, 20% report frequent mental distress. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Valley Wells is ahead of California on 4 and behind on 7.
| Valley Wells | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Valley Wells | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.4% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 30.6% | 35.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 20.7% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
9.3% of Valley Wells is conserved land
Trails run 22 miles in 2 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Valley Wells: 2, covering 146 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Argus Range Wilderness | — | 139 |
| 2. Great Falls Basin Wilderness | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Valley Wells
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Valley Wells; the nearest are
About Valley Wells
Place in California, United States
Valley Wells is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California. Prior to 2010, for census purposes it was part of Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells CDP. As of the 2020 census, Valley Wells had a population of 0. The town is now registered as California Historical Landmark #443; in 1849, several groups of midwestern emigrants settled here to secure water from nearby Searles Lake. The California Historical Landmark reads: NO. 443 VALLEY WELLS - In this area, several groups of midwestern emigrants who had escaped from hazards and privations in Death Valley in 1849 sought to secure water from Searles Lake. They turned northward and westward in despair when they discovered its salty nature, and…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,749 ft
Valley Wells’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Valley Wells.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Wells | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Homewood Canyon | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Trona | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Valley Wells, Homewood Canyon and Trona aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Valley Wells with a neighbor →
Questions about Valley Wells
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Valley Wells, CA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Valley Wells yet; the figures below are still real. A town.