The Town Files

Shasta Lake, California

City in Shasta County · population 10,371 (2020 Census)

Map: where Shasta Lake is in CaliforniaShasta Lake
Median home
$294,400
Household income
$67,401
Jan low / Jul high
41° / 97°
Snow a year
2 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
41.8

Shasta Lake is a city of 10,371 people in Shasta County, California. The median home is worth $294,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 74% of California towns.

How Shasta 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.

Shasta Lake lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement31st pctFamilies24th pctQuiet43rd pctWalkability52nd pctFirst-time buyers49th pctYoung professionals28th pctVibrancy48th pctHip & trendy39th pctCollege town33rd pctUpscale23rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling56th pctTransit55th pctDriving74th 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 Shasta Lake is worth $294,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $67,401, which is more affordable than 86% of California towns. Median rent is $1,298 a month. 68.2% of households own their home.

Shasta Lake vs Shasta County vs typical California townShasta LakeShasta CountyTypical California townHome value$294,400$366,400$596,900Household income$67,401$72,636$91,557Monthly rent$1,298$1,317$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingShasta LakeTypical California town
Median home value$294,400$596,900
Median rent$1,298$1,827
Median household income$67,401$91,557
Home value ÷ income4.4×6.4×
Homeownership68.2%67.4%
Median year built19821977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Shasta Lake

PeopleShasta LakeTypical California town
Median age41.840.2
Age 65 and over20.6%17.7%
Under 1821.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.3%27.7%
Below the poverty line13.3%10.3%
Veterans5.5%—
Born outside the U.S.2.9%—
Work from home4.0%13.4%
Average commute19.5 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband88.3%93.3%

Weather in Shasta Lake

July highs average 97.0°F and January lows 40.5°F. About 63.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 90 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.

Shasta Lake monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°55°41°Jan59°42°Feb63°44°Mar70°48°Apr79°55°May88°63°Jun97°69°Jul96°68°Aug90°63°Sep78°55°Oct62°46°Nov54°41°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue10.50.611.40.79.24.62.91.50.10.20.53.46.60.112.00.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Shasta Dam station (3.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Shasta Lake since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 24, 2019.

Severe weather in Shasta County since 1996

Storm events in Shasta County since 1996 by typeHail22Flood63Wildfire11Lightning2Dust Devil1Heavy Rain65Heavy Snow1Debris Flow3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Shasta County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 9 deaths recorded.

Shasta County has been included in 41 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
September 23, 2021FireFM-5417: Fawn Fire
October 16, 2020FireDR-4569: Wildfires
September 28, 2020FireFM-5377: Zogg Fire
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Shasta County

Shasta County had 70,090 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,352 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Shasta Lake itself the ACS puts it at 7.2%.

Largest industries in Shasta CountyHealth care & social assistan…15,652 jobs · $57,446Retail8,979 jobs · $41,559Hotels & restaurants5,899 jobs · $27,893Construction4,163 jobs · $75,024Administrative & support3,238 jobs · $46,896Manufacturing2,963 jobs · $77,593
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Shasta County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Shasta 5.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Shasta Lake

6 public schools with 1,667 students, about 19.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Shasta LakeK-861418.6
Central Valley High9-1258320.8
Grand Oaks ElementaryK-531521.0
Gateway Educational OptionsK-127719.3
Mountain Lakes High10-126012.0
Gateway Community Day7-12189.0

Towns near Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake questions

Is Shasta Lake, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shasta Lake scores better for retirees than 31% of California towns and quieter than 43%. 20.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.8).

How much does a house cost in Shasta Lake?

The median owner-occupied home in Shasta Lake is valued at $294,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,401, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $1,298 a month.

What is the weather like in Shasta Lake?

July highs average 97.0°F and January lows 40.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 63.0 inches of precipitation a year and 2.0 inches of snow.

Does Shasta Lake get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Shasta Lake in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Shasta Lake's Census boundary (GEOID 0671225). 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.