Happy Valley vs Lakehead
Happy Valley, California versus Lakehead, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lakehead edges out Happy Valley on overall objective livability (45 vs 40 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Happy Valley | Lakehead |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $69k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $57k | $57k |
| Home Value | $299k | $229k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $217 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 0.58% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.60% | 18.35% |
| Unemployment | 13.7% | 7.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 44°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.6 in | 63.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.6 in | 26.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 281 days | 281 days |
| Summer Humidity | 50°F | 50°F |
| Comfortable Days | 65 days | 64 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.8 | 70.1 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 55.5 | 58.9 |
| Violent Crime | 123/100k | 123/100k |
| Property Crime | 220/100k | 220/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 5,532 | 569 |
| Median Age | 49.3 | 61.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.15 | 0.76 |
| Political Leaning | R+34 | R+34 |
| White (%) | 81.7% | 77.3% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.0% | 8.4% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 9.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 10.3% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 5.8/20 | 7.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 130 mi | 158 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.7% | 87.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.27 | 70.30 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Happy Valley or Lakehead more affordable?
- Lakehead has the lower cost of living: its index is $57k, compared with Happy Valley's $57k and Lakehead's $57k. Median rent is $2k in Happy Valley versus $2k in Lakehead.
- Is Happy Valley or Lakehead safer?
- Lakehead has the lower violent crime rate. Happy Valley reports 123/100k and Lakehead reports 123/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Happy Valley or Lakehead?
- The median home value is $299k in Happy Valley and $229k in Lakehead, so homes are more affordable in Lakehead.