Sierra County, California
Among the top 21% of US counties for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B, better than 54% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B+, better than 79% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 29% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 20% of US counties
- top 1% for summer humidity
- bottom 1% for annual snowfall
Sierra County is a county in California with about 2,916 residents. It grades B+ for safety & wellbeing and F for affordability. Standout strengths include summer humidity, property crime, and violent crime. It rates lower on income tax and annual snowfall.
Official websitesierracounty.ca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cold
89%56%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.8 in0.4 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$61k52nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$59kbetter than 7% of US counties
Home Value$289k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 13% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 15% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.84%better than 51% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden20.19%better than 2% of US counties
Unemployment5.6%better than 33% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)37°F60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)71°F17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation33.5 in30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall132.5 inbetter than 1% of US counties
Sunny Days253 daysbetter than 67% of US counties
Summer Humidity39°Fbetter than 99% of US counties
Comfortable Days74 daysbetter than 35% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk31.5better than 67% of US counties
School Quality60.6better than 61% of US counties
Violent Crime511/100kbetter than 70% of US counties
Property Crime438/100kbetter than 76% of US counties
Community
Population2,9166th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age54.998th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.2038th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9411th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2232nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)86.6%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.2%12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)11.4%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.0%4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.7%12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Walkability5.1/20better than 21% of US counties
Airport Distance84 mibetter than 58% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access77.0%better than 20% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.43better than 58% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 21% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Sierra County an affordable place to live?
- Sierra County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $59k, better than 7% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Sierra County?
- The median home value in Sierra County is $289k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Sierra County?
- Median household income in Sierra County is $61k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Sierra County?
- Median gross rent in Sierra County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Sierra County safe?
- Sierra County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 511/100k (better than 70%). Property crime is 438/100k.
- What is the weather like in Sierra County?
- Sierra County averages 71°F in July and 37°F in January, with 33.5 in of annual precipitation and about 253 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Sierra County?
- Public-school quality in Sierra County is above average, scoring better than 61% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)