Bravo Lake, 2023
Woodlake’s story
118 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,146 in 1940, 7,419 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2023 and 3 maps from 1928 on.
- 1908Woodlake is settled
WoodlakeCA
A town of 8,073, settled in 1908.
Population
8,073
2025 Census estimate · +8.4% since 2020
Typical home
$328K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
32.2
years
Jobs based here
1,500
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#794 of 841 in CA
Is Woodlake a good place to live?
Woodlake earns a D−, 794th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $46K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. What it does well: 1% of its land is conserved. Woodlake’s July high is 98°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Woodlake's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 77% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
A commuter town
87% of working residents leave Woodlake for work
Where Woodlake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,500jobs based in Woodlake
13%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Woodlake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Woodlake is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthKaweah Health Medical Center 12.3 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SafetyC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $328K, 4.6 years of the Visalia metro’s $71K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 6.9% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trailsBOpen →History5 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
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 32.2; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Woodlake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Woodlake, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Woodlake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Woodlake’s trash rules yet
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 hereTulare County Registrar of VotersTulare County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9328693286 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 Woodlake.
Woodlake has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, fares better on crime within California than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
HousingCost of living grade C+
Woodlake stands out in California and nationally: the median rent there is lower
The median property tax bill is $1,599, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Woodlake’s median rent is $968 a month. The typical Woodlake home is worth about $328,000, up 1.3% in a year, 57% below the California typical home. 55% of households own their home in Woodlake.
$328KZillow home value
| Woodlake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $968 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Woodlake$328K
California$762K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Woodlake’s schools rank behind 66% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Woodlake Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Woodlake High, with 646 students.
34%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis J. White Learning CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 502 | – |
| Woodlake HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 646 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Woodlake earns a D for health
Against the 4,432 U.S. towns with household incomes like Woodlake’s, it is less healthy than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
38% of Woodlake adults say their health is fair or poor. Woodlake beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 19% of Woodlake adults report frequent physical distress.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Woodlake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better11 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Woodlake | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.4% | 10.6% |
Kaweah Health Medical Center
12.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
6th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyC−
Crime per resident in Woodlake is higher than in 80% of U.S. towns
At 36.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 67% of California’s graded towns.
The violent crime rate in Woodlake is 5.7 per 1,000 residents.
20%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Woodlake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Woodlake5.7
California4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Woodlake13.3
California18.2
U.S.15.5
20th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
33rd
percentile among CA towns
45
violent crimes reported in 2025
104
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
#365for trails in CA
| Woodlake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
1.4%
conserved · 30 of 2,113 acres
3.5 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woodlake City Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Willow Court Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Woodlake’s workers commute out
Jobs based here grew from 1,124 in 2013 to 1,500.
Most working residents leave Woodlake for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Woodlake grew to 1,500 in 2023, 376 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Visalia (23%), Fresno (7%) and Exeter (3%).
13%work in town
| Woodlake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Woodlake13%
Visalia23%
Fresno7%
Exeter3%
Tulare2%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,500
jobs based in Woodlake
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Woodlake
Since 1995, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Woodlake.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesEarthquakes
15
paid flood claims since 1995
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Woodlake, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Lemon Cove weather station, 5 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 307 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Lemon Cove weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 125 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Woodlake has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 98°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–60°
Spring49–76°
Summer64–96°
Fall51–80°
Dec 8
typical first frost
Feb 5
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 22 attractions →Sequoia National Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Woodlake. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi National ParkSequoia National Park1.4M visitors a year
18 mi National ParkKings Canyon National Park780K visitors a year
21 mi MountainMoro Rock
12 mi TheatreVisalia Fox Theatre
21 mi MuseumGiant Forest MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Sequoia National Park: Alberto Carrasco Casado, CC BY 2.0 · Kings Canyon National Park: NileGuide.com (Josh Steinitz), CC BY 2.0 · Moro Rock: DiverDave, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Visalia Fox Theatre: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Giant Forest Museum: David Fulmer, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Woodlake
20pages on Woodlake
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 66% of CA districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC−5.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than CA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$328K typical home · up 1.3% in a yearWork & commuteD$46K median household income · 1,500 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 77% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Woodlake
About 6 of every 100 Woodlake residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Famous people from Woodlake
5 notable people were born in Woodlake.
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About Woodlake
City in California, United States
Woodlake is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated in the San Joaquin Valley near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The population was 7,419 at the 2020 census, up from 7,279 at the 2010 census. In 1912, the city of Woodlake was founded by Gilbert F. Stevenson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1941
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 440 ft
- ZIP code
- 93286
- Area code
- 559
Questions about Woodlake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Woodlake, CA a good place to live?
Woodlake grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #794 of 841 in California. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Woodlake, CA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Woodlake, CA known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Robben Ford and Amanda Renteria.