City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

7,061
Residents
$99,576
Median income
$560,600
Median home
$1,813
Median rent (state)

Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) places in the 77th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

77th
percentile, household income
87th
percentile, home value
76th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA

7,061 people live in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) brings in $99,576 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s housing stock carries a median value of $560,600, and the median resident age is 55.4 years. 42.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,813 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 23.2 minutes, with 68.3% driving alone and 20.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 89.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

7,061 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$99,576 /yr

Poverty 3.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) compare to other US cities?

Here's how Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 77% higher than other cities
Home value 87% pricier than other cities
Median rent 76% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

77thIncome percentile

77th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$560,600 13th percentile more affordable than 13% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA median $99,576/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 42.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
7,061
Median Income
$99,576
Median Home Value
$560,600
Median Age
55.4
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
51.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
42.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.2 minutes
Drive Alone
68.3%
Carpool
9.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
20.7%
Other
1.3%

Based on 3,170 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,813/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Mecca
7,071 people
South Monrovia Island
7,072 people
Boyes Hot Springs
7,031 people
Oceano
7,098 people
Atherton
7,021 people
Fort Bragg
7,001 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s 7,061 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Delphos, OH
7,063 people
San Isidro comunidad, PR
7,063 people
Pacific, WA
7,064 people
Lake Murray of Richland, SC
7,057 people
Church Hill, TN
7,057 people
Waveland, MS
7,066 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s $99,576 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Huntington, VA
$99,580 median income
Buffalo, ND
$99,583 median income
Chickasaw, OH
$99,583 median income
Garner, TX
$99,583 median income
North Bellport, NY
$99,551 median income
Bixby, OK
$99,602 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.3% White 92.8% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 0.0% American Indian 1.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.0% Two or more races 3.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) (this city) 7,061 $99,576
Mecca 7,071 $45,011
South Monrovia Island 7,072 $109,730
Boyes Hot Springs 7,031 $89,568
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA?

What is the population of Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA? +

The population of Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA stands at 7,061 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA? +

The median household income in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) is $99,576 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County); the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County), CA? +

Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County)'s median home value sits at $560,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.