Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,615, settled in 1849.
California gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $122K for a typical one, or 1.6 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income. It grades B− overall, 692nd among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the median household income is $49K, and 29% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in California, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. California is home to Pennsylvania Western University.
Where California beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 476 in 1860, 5,362 in 2020. The archive holds 36 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 6 maps from 1902 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far California is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 10%), so the B− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in California, and how to reach them.
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 California.
California is shaped by its college students and is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Pennsylvania (mostly inland flooding).
43.2% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.1% statewide, which pulls the median age down. Only 49% of households own their home, against 69.3% across Pennsylvania.
California’s median age is 21.7 years. California has lost 14% of its people since 2020, down to 4,615 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 15% of residents are under 18 in California.
| California | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.7 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 21% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 22.0, men 21.4.
| California | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.8% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 46.4% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.3% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.1% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.3% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.2% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.5% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,600, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by California Area SD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Area El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 485 | B− |
| California Area SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 290 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
At 1.6 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income, the typical home (about $122K) costs less against local pay than in 95% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living. Values fell 5.5% in the past year while the Pennsylvania typical home rose 2.2%.
49% of California households own their home. Typical home values fell 5.5% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in California is $806 a month.
| California | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $806 a month | $1,116 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Pennsylvania towns, with expected losses of about $896 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1978, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in California.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 26.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 84% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
California has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 22° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 2,623 in 2013 to 1,935.
Most working residents leave California for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, California has lost 688 jobs, to 1,935 in 2023. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (7%), Washington (4%) and Rostraver Township (3%).
| California | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 15% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 5,243 U.S. towns with household incomes like California’s, it is healthier than 92%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
California beats the Pennsylvania average on 7 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7. Among 1,035 Pennsylvania towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than California.
| California | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | California | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.1% | 11.6% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 23.7% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.3 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is SAI Farm, at 88 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SAI Farm | — | 88 |
| 2. George H. Roadman University Park | — | 52 |
| 3. David M. Szalay Community Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around California. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
22 mi Theme parkKennywood
26 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
27 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
26 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints ArenaFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of California
College town 43 of every 100 California residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
6,795 counted in 2010 and 5,362 in 2020; an estimated 4,615 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 14% since 2020, after 21.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
4 places in California on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in California.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
California is a borough on the Monongahela River in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,479 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Founded in 1849, the borough was named for the territory of California following the gold rush. It is the home of Pennsylvania Western University, California.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
9 towns share a border with California.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | #692 | B− | A+ | C | B− | B− |
| West Pike Run Township | — | — | A | A+ | B− | C+ |
| West Brownsville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Centerville | #301 | A− | A+ | A | C | B− |
| Coal Center | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson Township | — | — | A | — | B− | C+ |
| Newell | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Long Branch | — | — | — | — | — | — |
West Pike Run Township and Jefferson Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Jefferson Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. West Brownsville, Coal Center, Newell and Long Branch aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare California with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
California grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #692 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B− for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
5 notable people were born here, including Viola Liuzzo and Philip J. Corso.
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