Sacramento Valley Museum building, 1923
Williams’s story
150 years in pictures
Census counts: 279 in 1880, 5,538 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1923 and 5 maps from 1907 on.
- 1876Williams is settled
WilliamsCA
Trash & recyclingPhoto: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
5,529
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$378K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
30.4
years
Jobs based here
1,269
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#712 of 841 in CA
Is Williams a good place to live?
Williams grades D− overall, ranked 712th of 841 in California. Williams’ July high is 96°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Williams's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 76% of U.S. communities, with drought at the top.
What makes Williams stand out
Where Williams beats most towns.
How Williams grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Williams is from typical.
Hazard riskdrought tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →Jobs & income$91K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 4.2% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →HealthColusa Medical Center 8.4 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landC+Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life2.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.4; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Williams: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williams, and how to reach them.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Williams water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerRecology Butte Colusa Counties picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
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 hereColusa County Clerk-Elections DepartmentColusa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9598795987 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 Williams.
Williams has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by about half, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
HousingCost of living grade C−
The typical home in Williams is valued at about $378K
The median property tax bill is $2,544, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Williams home is worth about $378,000, up 0.7% in a year, 50% below the California typical home. 54% of households own their home in Williams.
$378KZillow home value
| Williams | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,184 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Williams$378K
California$762K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Williams’ schools rank behind 72% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Williams Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Williams Junior/Senior High, with 588 students.
28%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Primary ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 407 | – |
| Williams Junior/Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 588 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Williams’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Williams for work: only 18% work in town. Jobs based in Williams grew to 1,269 in 2023, 187 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Colusa (7%), Woodland (5%) and Sacramento (4%).
18%work in town
| Williams | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Williams18%
Colusa7%
Woodland5%
Sacramento4%
Yuba City3%
28 mi
median commute distance
1,269
jobs based in Williams
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Williams faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Since 1998, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Williams.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtEarthquakesInland flooding
10
paid flood claims since 1998
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyC
Williams sees more crime per resident than 67% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 115 to 46 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Williams’ property crime rate is 6.2 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 60% of towns.
33%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Williams | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Williams2
California4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Williams6.2
California18.2
U.S.15.5
33rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
60th
percentile among CA towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
35
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
In Williams, expect mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 96°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 37.8°.
Williams has mild winters and hot summers. The January low in Williams is 38°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–59°
Spring47–75°
Summer60–94°
Fall49–79°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Williams are less healthy than 55% of U.S. towns
Against the 9,866 U.S. towns with household incomes like Williams’s, it is less healthy than 71%, so it trails even them.
Williams beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 68% of Williams adults had a checkup this year.
45%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Williams | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Williams | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.6% | 10.6% |
Colusa Medical Center
8.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
33rd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC+
Williams has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
1.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
#631for trails in CA
| Williams | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.8%
conserved · 24 of 3,154 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley Vista Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Venice Park | — | 3 |
| 3. North View Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Williams
19pages on Williams
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 72% of CA districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than CA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$378K typical home · up 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteC$91K median household income · 1,269 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 76% of U.S. communities · drought
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Williams; the nearest are
Yuba CollegeCommunity college · Public · Marysville32.2 mi$1,128 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-ChicoUniversity or college · Public · Chico43 mi$8,472 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Williams residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Williams
City in California, United States
Williams (formerly Central) is a city in Colusa County, California, United States. The population was 5,538 at the 2020 census, up from 5,123 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1920
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 82 ft
- ZIP code
- 95987
- Area code
- 530
Questions about Williams
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Williams, CA a good place to live?
Williams grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #712 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Williams, CA safe?
Within California, it does better than 60% of towns.
Is Williams, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($75,672 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.