The Town FilesBishop, California
City in Inyo County · population 3,819 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $386,400
- Household income
- $83,686
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 100°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 51.2
Bishop is a city of 3,819 people in Inyo County, California. The median home is worth $386,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for cycling than 100% of California towns, hipper than 97% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of California towns.
How Bishop ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bishop is worth $386,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $83,686, which is more affordable than 84% of California towns. Median rent is $1,580 a month. 58.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bishop | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $386,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,580 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $83,686 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 58.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1967 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Bishop
| People | Bishop | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 28.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 10.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 11.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.1% | — |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 16.1 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Bishop
July highs average 99.7°F and January lows 23.5°F. About 4.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 104 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 139 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bishop since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on March 3, 2018 about 2.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 3, 2018.
Severe weather in Inyo County since 1996
Inyo County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Inyo County
Inyo County had 7,718 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,041 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Bishop itself the ACS puts it at 0.3%.
Public schools in Bishop
10 public schools with 1,974 students, about 18.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Elementary | K-5 | 866 | 19.2 |
| Bishop Union High | 9-12 | 613 | 19.2 |
| Home Street Middle | 6-8 | 398 | 19.0 |
| Round Valley Elementary | K-5 | 69 | 11.5 |
| CDS Bishop High | 9-12 | 13 | — |
| Jill Kinmont Boothe | 6-12 | 8 | 8.0 |
| CDS Home Street | 6-8 | 3 | — |
| CDS Bishop Elementary | K-5 | 3 | — |
| Keith B. Bright High (Juvenile Hall) | 6-12 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Inyo Co Small Steps Infant Toddler and PreSch Program | Other | — | — |
Towns near Bishop
- Dixon Lane-MeadowCreek, CA1.7 mi · 2,780 people · home $196,600
- West Bishop, CA4.4 mi · 2,754 people · home $615,600
Bishop questions
Is Bishop, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bishop scores better for retirees than 59% of California towns and quieter than 58%. 28.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.2).
How much does a house cost in Bishop?
The median owner-occupied home in Bishop is valued at $386,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,686, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,580 a month.
What is the weather like in Bishop?
July highs average 99.7°F and January lows 23.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 4.8 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Bishop get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Bishop since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on March 3, 2018. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)