The Town FilesDorris, California
City in Siskiyou County · population 860 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $154,700
- Household income
- $41,563
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 52 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 36.6
Dorris is a city of 860 people in Siskiyou County, California. The median home is worth $154,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 87% of California towns.
How Dorris 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 Dorris is worth $154,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $41,563, which is more affordable than 94% of California towns. Median rent is $746 a month. 57.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Dorris | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $154,700 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $746 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $41,563 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 57.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1959 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.6% | — |
Who lives in Dorris
| People | Dorris | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 31.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 18.4% | — |
| Work from home | 14.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 19.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Dorris
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 21.0°F. About 18.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 34 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 189 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Dorris since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on August 22, 2013.
Severe weather in Siskiyou County since 1996
Siskiyou County has been included in 23 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 |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| September 2, 2022 | Fire | FM-5450: Mill Fire |
| June 29, 2021 | Fire | FM-5393: Lava Fire |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County had 14,205 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,720 a year. Unemployment was 6.4% in 2023; in Dorris itself the ACS puts it at 13.6%.
Public schools in Dorris
4 public schools with 302 students, about 18.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butte Valley Elementary | K-8 | 214 | 30.6 |
| Butte Valley High | 9-12 | 88 | 9.8 |
| Cascade High | 9-12 | — | — |
| Picard Community Day Elementary | K-8 | — | — |
Towns near Dorris
- Keno, OR11.5 mi · 1,980 people · home $339,600
- Falcon Heights, OR14.2 mi · 680 people · home $193,600
- Merrill, OR16.9 mi · 821 people · home $204,700
- Altamont, OR19.0 mi · 20,233 people · home $249,200
- Klamath Falls, OR19.0 mi · 21,813 people · home $287,000
- Running Y Ranch, OR21.4 mi · 858 people · home $599,100
- Tulelake, CA22.9 mi · 902 people · home $170,200
- Malin, OR26.4 mi · 731 people · home $206,900
Dorris questions
Is Dorris, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Dorris scores better for retirees than 60% of California towns and quieter than 87%. 21.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).
How much does a house cost in Dorris?
The median owner-occupied home in Dorris is valued at $154,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $41,563, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $746 a month.
What is the weather like in Dorris?
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 21.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.9 inches of precipitation a year and 52.2 inches of snow.
Does Dorris get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Dorris in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)