The Town FilesCrescent City, California
City in Del Norte County · population 6,673 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $306,500
- Household income
- $35,540
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 63°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 38.4
Crescent City is a city of 6,673 people in Del Norte County, California. The median home is worth $306,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 98% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 77% of California towns.
How Crescent City 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 Crescent City is worth $306,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.6 times the median household income of $35,540, which is more affordable than 19% of California towns. Median rent is $1,192 a month. 32.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Crescent City | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $306,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,192 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $35,540 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 32.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.0% | — |
Who lives in Crescent City
| People | Crescent City | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.2% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 12.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.9% | — |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 38.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Crescent City
July highs average 63.0°F and January lows 41.9°F. About 58.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 4 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crescent City since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 30, 1992 about 1.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 20, 1996.
Severe weather in Del Norte County since 1996
Del Norte County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tsunami.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Del Norte County
Del Norte County had 8,328 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,835 a year. Unemployment was 5.7% in 2023; in Crescent City itself the ACS puts it at 8.4%.
Public schools in Crescent City
13 public schools with 3,711 students, about 20.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | 9-12 | 923 | 19.2 |
| Crescent Elk Middle | 6-8 | 527 | 19.5 |
| Redwood Elementary | K-8 | 461 | 23.1 |
| Castle Rock (charter) | K-12 | 337 | 22.5 |
| Uncharted Shores Academy (charter) | K-9 | 295 | 24.6 |
| Joe Hamilton Elementary | K-5 | 292 | 20.9 |
| Pine Grove Elementary | K-5 | 260 | 23.6 |
| Mary Peacock Elementary | K-5 | 252 | 19.4 |
| Bess Maxwell Elementary | K-5 | 232 | 17.8 |
| Sunset High | 9-12 | 101 | 20.2 |
| Del Norte Community | K-12 | 31 | 31.0 |
| Elk Creek | 7-12 | — | — |
Towns near Crescent City
- Bertsch-Oceanview, CA1.8 mi · 2,520 people · home $191,300
- Harbor, OR19.0 mi · 2,551 people · home $316,600
- Brookings, OR21.9 mi · 6,744 people · home $446,700
Crescent City questions
Is Crescent City, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Crescent City scores better for retirees than 42% of California towns and quieter than 54%. 12.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.4).
How much does a house cost in Crescent City?
The median owner-occupied home in Crescent City is valued at $306,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $35,540, so homes cost about 8.6 times income. Median rent is $1,192 a month.
What is the weather like in Crescent City?
July highs average 63.0°F and January lows 41.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 58.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Crescent City get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crescent City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 30, 1992. 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)