The Town FilesFort Bragg, California
City in Mendocino County · population 6,983 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $535,400
- Household income
- $56,481
- Jan low / Jul high
- 40° / 65°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 49.0
Fort Bragg is a city of 6,983 people in Mendocino County, California. The median home is worth $535,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 100% of California towns, hipper than 92% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 85% of California towns.
- #1 in The 25 Best Seaside Small Towns in California
- #10 in 25 Small Towns in California With the Coolest Summers
- #14 in The 50 Best Seaside Small Towns in America
- #22 in The 50 Best Seaside Places in America
- #27 in 50 Small Towns in America With the Coolest Summers
- #35 in 50 Places in America With the Coolest Summers
How Fort Bragg 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 Fort Bragg is worth $535,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.5 times the median household income of $56,481, which is more affordable than 12% of California towns. Median rent is $1,290 a month. 46.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Bragg | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $535,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,290 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $56,481 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 46.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 8.0% | — |
Who lives in Fort Bragg
| People | Fort Bragg | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 21.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 14.4% | — |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 12.7 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Fort Bragg
July highs average 65.0°F and January lows 40.3°F. About 43.2 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 12 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Fort Bragg since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 5, 1998 about 1.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 5, 1998.
Severe weather in Mendocino County since 1996
Mendocino County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| 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 |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Mendocino County
Mendocino County had 32,084 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,903 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Fort Bragg itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Fort Bragg
8 public schools with 1,758 students, about 17.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bragg High | 9-12 | 521 | 15.8 |
| Fort Bragg Middle | 6-8 | 408 | 17.7 |
| Dana Gray Elementary | 3-5 | 362 | 18.1 |
| Redwood Elementary | K-2 | 338 | 16.1 |
| Three Rivers Charter (charter) | 1-8 | 80 | 26.7 |
| Noyo High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 29 | 29.0 |
| Lighthouse Community Day | 9-12 | 13 | 13.0 |
| Shelter Cove | 4-8 | 7 | 7.0 |
Towns near Fort Bragg
- Brooktrails, CA21.8 mi · 3,632 people · home $371,700
- Willits, CA24.3 mi · 4,988 people · home $371,100
Fort Bragg questions
Is Fort Bragg, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Bragg scores better for retirees than 52% of California towns and quieter than 44%. 23.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.0).
How much does a house cost in Fort Bragg?
The median owner-occupied home in Fort Bragg is valued at $535,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,481, so homes cost about 9.5 times income. Median rent is $1,290 a month.
What is the weather like in Fort Bragg?
July highs average 65.0°F and January lows 40.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Fort Bragg get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Fort Bragg since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 5, 1998. 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)