The Town Files

Plumas Lake, California

Community in Yuba County · population 8,126 (2020 Census)

Map: where Plumas Lake is in CaliforniaPlumas Lake
Median home
$555,300
Household income
$120,408
Jan low / Jul high
38° / 96°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
34.8

Plumas Lake is a community of 8,126 people in Yuba County, California. The median home is worth $555,300, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 98% of California towns, easier by car than 77% of California towns.

Plumas Lake in our rankings:

How Plumas Lake 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.

Plumas Lake lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement36th pctFamilies98th pctQuiet63rd pctWalkability5th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals20th pctVibrancy29th pctHip & trendy14th pctCollege town28th pctUpscale64th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving77th 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 Plumas Lake is worth $555,300, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $120,408, which is more affordable than 84% of California towns. Median rent is $2,302 a month. 91.5% of households own their home.

Plumas Lake vs Yuba County vs typical California townPlumas LakeYuba CountyTypical California townHome value$555,300$412,300$596,900Household income$120,408$76,373$91,557Monthly rent$2,302$1,311$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingPlumas LakeTypical California town
Median home value$555,300$596,900
Median rent$2,302$1,827
Median household income$120,408$91,557
Home value ÷ income4.6×6.4×
Homeownership91.5%67.4%
Median year built20081977
Seasonal / vacation homes1.8%—

Who lives in Plumas Lake

PeoplePlumas LakeTypical California town
Median age34.840.2
Age 65 and over7.2%17.7%
Under 1831.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher25.0%27.7%
Below the poverty line4.5%10.3%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.9.9%—
Work from home15.5%13.4%
Average commute42.7 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband93.9%93.3%

Weather in Plumas Lake

July highs average 96.2°F and January lows 38.2°F. About 20.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 99 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 23 nights at or below freezing.

Plumas Lake monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing56°38°Jan60°41°Feb66°43°Mar73°46°Apr82°52°May90°58°Jun96°61°Jul95°60°Aug90°56°Sep79°49°Oct64°41°Nov55°38°DecPrecipitation (in)3.83.62.91.40.90.30.00.10.11.02.23.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Marysville Yuba Co Ap station (8.5 mi away); snow from Nicolaus #2 (3.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plumas Lake since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on October 22, 2012 about 7.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 2, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Plumas Lake by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s12000s42010s02020s
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 1.00 inches on January 23, 2017.

Severe weather in Yuba County since 1996

Storm events in Yuba County since 1996 by typeHail1Flood10Tornado3Wildfire2Lightning1Heavy Rain6Flash Flood2Funnel Cloud7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Yuba County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Yuba County has been included in 28 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 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
October 16, 2020FireDR-4569: Wildfires
September 9, 2020FireFM-5363: Bear Fire
August 22, 2020FireDR-4558: Wildfires

Jobs and pay in Yuba County

Yuba County had 21,061 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $66,931 a year. Unemployment was 6.7% in 2023; in Plumas Lake itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.

Largest industries in Yuba CountyRetail1,767 jobs · $39,305Hotels & restaurants1,364 jobs · $29,482Construction973 jobs · $75,226Manufacturing879 jobs · $87,704Administrative & support524 jobs · $57,777Company management496 jobs · $95,715
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Yuba County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%20%2000200420082012201620202023Yuba 6.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Plumas Lake

3 public schools with 1,600 students, about 20.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Cobblestone ElementaryK-557122.0
Rio Del Oro ElementaryK-552121.7
Riverside Meadows Intermediate6-850818.8

Towns near Plumas Lake

Plumas Lake questions

Is Plumas Lake, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plumas Lake scores better for retirees than 36% of California towns and quieter than 63%. 7.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.8).

How much does a house cost in Plumas Lake?

The median owner-occupied home in Plumas Lake is valued at $555,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $120,408, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $2,302 a month.

What is the weather like in Plumas Lake?

July highs average 96.2°F and January lows 38.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Plumas Lake get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plumas Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on October 22, 2012. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Plumas Lake's Census boundary (GEOID 0657829). 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.