The Town Files

Penryn, California

Community in Placer County · population 1,150 (2020 Census)

Map: where Penryn is in CaliforniaPenryn
Median home
$808,500
Household income
$127,361
Jan low / Jul high
38° / 93°
Snow a year
2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
56.0

Penryn is a community of 1,150 people in Placer County, California. The median home is worth $808,500, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 96% of California towns, quieter than 83% of California towns, better for retirees than 76% of California towns.

How Penryn 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.

Penryn lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement76th pctFamilies96th pctQuiet83rd pctWalkability46th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals38th pctVibrancy37th pctHip & trendy65th pctCollege town41st pctUpscale72nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling46th pctTransit39th pctDriving57th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Penryn is worth $808,500, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.3 times the median household income of $127,361, which is more affordable than 52% of California towns. Median rent is $573 a month. 88.5% of households own their home.

Penryn vs Placer County vs typical California townPenrynPlacer CountyTypical California townHome value$808,500$688,100$596,900Household income$127,361$115,998$91,557Monthly rent$573$2,069$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingPenrynTypical California town
Median home value$808,500$596,900
Median rent$573$1,827
Median household income$127,361$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.3×6.4×
Homeownership88.5%67.4%
Median year built19871977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Penryn

PeoplePenrynTypical California town
Median age56.040.2
Age 65 and over28.8%17.7%
Under 1821.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher38.1%27.7%
Below the poverty line2.4%10.3%
Veterans4.7%—
Born outside the U.S.5.7%—
Work from home26.8%13.4%
Average commute23.2 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband95.0%93.3%

Weather in Penryn

July highs average 92.7°F and January lows 37.8°F. About 36.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.5 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 63 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 20 nights at or below freezing.

Penryn monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing56°38°Jan59°40°Feb63°42°Mar68°45°Apr77°52°May86°58°Jun93°63°Jul92°63°Aug87°60°Sep77°52°Oct64°43°Nov56°37°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue7.00.16.50.56.10.42.80.11.60.40.00.10.21.43.00.16.80.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Auburn station (6.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penryn since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on March 22, 1983 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 9, 2017.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Penryn by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on October 2, 2016.

Severe weather in Placer County since 1996

Storm events in Placer County since 1996 by typeHail10Flood52Avalanche17Dense Fog5High Wind214Heavy Rain74Heavy Snow668Debris Flow8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Placer County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 32 deaths recorded.

Placer County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
September 9, 2022FireFM-5453: Mosquito Fire
September 1, 2021FireEM-3571: Caldor Fire

Jobs and pay in Placer County

Placer County had 186,942 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,804 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Penryn itself the ACS puts it at 5.5%.

Largest industries in Placer CountyHealth care & social assistan…33,894 jobs · $91,046Retail22,056 jobs · $46,749Hotels & restaurants20,046 jobs · $31,968Construction19,262 jobs · $85,714Professional & technical serv…11,674 jobs · $91,123Administrative & support9,013 jobs · $61,169
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Placer County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Placer 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Penryn

1 public school with 247 students, about 22.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Penryn ElementaryK-824722.5

Towns near Penryn

Penryn questions

Is Penryn, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Penryn scores better for retirees than 76% of California towns and quieter than 83%. 28.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.0).

How much does a house cost in Penryn?

The median owner-occupied home in Penryn is valued at $808,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $127,361, so homes cost about 6.3 times income. Median rent is $573 a month.

What is the weather like in Penryn?

July highs average 92.7°F and January lows 37.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.1 inches of precipitation a year and 1.5 inches of snow.

Does Penryn get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penryn since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on March 22, 1983. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Penryn's Census boundary (GEOID 0656546). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.