CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.04° N · 121.06° W · GEOID 0639690

Lake of the Pines

Nevada County, California · part of the Truckee, CA metro

CaliforniaLake of the Pines, CALake of the PinesLake of the Pines

The short answer

Lake of the Pines is home to 5,461 people. Median household income is $121,682 a year and median rent is $2,399 a month, 23.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $664,300, about 5.5x annual median household income.

Lake of the Pines stands out on value for money. Rent run 28% above what its fundamentals predict in California. Also notable: The median resident is 53.1 years old, older than in 95% of places its size.

32OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Lake of the Pines scores better than 32% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 239th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%23
Economy 20%66
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%28
Education 10%69
Commute 10%35
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,399
76% above the median place
Median household income
$121,682
52% above the median place
Median home value
$664,300
108% above the median place
Unemployment
5.0%
1% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Lake of the Pines

Nevada County gains about 0.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,127
Moved out5,109
Net+18

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$121K
Leavers$91K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Nevada County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.1% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Nevada County report $120,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $91,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$96,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,399 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,729 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $664,300.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 30.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Kirtland, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in6
$120,581
71% above the median place
Moved from another state1
1.1%
45% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$90,969
29% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.3%7% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.1%45% below
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure0.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$120,58171% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$90,96929% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 5.5 years of the median household's income, more than in 86% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Lake of the Pines23.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$95,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.7%
16% above the median place
Home price to income
5.5x
44% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$93,200
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake of the Pines, $2,399 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Lake of the Pines, but easier on the budget

Places that match Lake of the Pines on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Kirtland, OH919.5% vs 23.7%n/aCompare
Corrales, NM9013.4% vs 23.7%n/aCompare
Murrysville, PA8815.6% vs 23.7%n/aCompare
Maryville, IL8713.6% vs 23.7%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake of the Pines.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake of the Pines? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
87.7%
32% above the median place
Median home value1
$664,300
108% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,729
46% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,39976% above
Rent to income123.7%16% above
Property tax rate10.8%7% below
Home price to income15.5x44% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,88517% above
HUD area median income3County figure$140,40031% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,63373% above
Median home value1$664,300108% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure0.9%73% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure26.6%48% below
Homeownership187.7%32% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure57.4%13% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,72946% above
Vacant homes1County figure21.1%198% above
Median year built119800% above
03

Work and pay

30% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 93% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
30.2%
142% above the median place
Income per person1
$62,646
56% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$121,682 +52%
Mean commute28 min +10%
Poverty rate8.5% −21%
Unemployment5.0% +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$121,68252% above
Income per person1$62,64656% above
Unemployment15.0%1% above
Average annual pay5County figure$65,7820% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.9%32% above
Jobs5County figure34,62677% below
Poverty rate18.5%21% below
Mean commute128 min10% above
Works from home130.2%142% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

3% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 90% of the 1,842 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 654 California places we track.

Median age1
53.1
36% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.4%
7% above the median place
Born abroad1
2.6%
70% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband94.8% +3%
Bachelor's or higher42.5% +33%
Household size2.5 −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,4616303rd largest
Median age153.136% above
Bachelor's or higher142.5%33% above
High school or higher198.4%7% above
Household size12.51% below
Born abroad12.6%70% below
No health insurance1County figure5.3%17% below
Homes with broadband194.8%3% above
05

Life in Lake of the Pines

OpenStreetMap shows 29.3 parks per 10,000 residents, more than in 88% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

26 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents29.3 2.9×
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k3.7 +73%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 86 miles
  • John Muir National Historic Site 93 miles
  • Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site 99 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.0 +6%
Shops38.0 +25%
Arts, recreation and fitness8.6 2.1×
Doctors' offices and clinics22.9 +13%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
85.6
178% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7
8.6
110% above the median place
Students per teacher11
20.4
32% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure46above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure13,561177% above
Students per teacher11County figure20.432% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure22.06% above
Shops per 10k7County figure38.025% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure8.6110% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure22.913% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k829.3188% above
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k83.773% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site985.6178% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles90below (median 2)
National Register listings10County figure26100% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 99.4, 62% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake of the Pines. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
99.4
62% above the median place
Tornado risk13
17.9
78% below the median place
Heat wave risk13
57.8
36% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureLake of the PinesAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure85°F2% below
January average low12County figure30°F20% above
Average temperature12County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation12County figure51.1 in17% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure89.93% below
Tornado risk13County figure17.978% below
Wildfire risk13County figure99.462% above
Heat wave risk13County figure57.836% below
Median air quality index14County figure422% below
Good air days14County figure79.8%16% above
08

Lake of the Pines in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Lake of the Pines does better than 23% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 71%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,399/mo (2024)$3,080/mo$2,530 to $3,760/mo+4.3%
Median household income$121,682 (2024)$156,000$131,500 to $184,500+4.2%
Median home value$664,300 (2024)$967,000$702,000 to $1,332,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 6.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lake of the Pines

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Amityville, NY$2,247$106,285Compare
Alta Sierra, CA$2,254$105,603Compare
Palm City, FL$2,013$125,820Compare
Hull, MA$2,081$115,485Compare
Hull, MAPalm City, FLAlta Sierra, CAAmityville, NYLake of the Pines, CALake of the PinesAmityvillePalm CityHullLake of the PinesAmityvillePalm CityHull

Places built like Lake of the Pines

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Lake of the Pines performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Lake of the Pines, CA23.7%6.4%/yrn/a
Alta Sierra, CA25.6%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Mira Monte, CA33.2%-1.2%/yrn/aCompare
Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI23.7%2.1%/yrn/aCompare
Maplewood, WA17.7%5.2%/yrn/aCompare
Vashon, WA16.6%8.8%/yrn/aCompare
Canyon Lake, CA24.7%4.7%/yr0.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Lake of the Pines a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 32 out of 100, better than 32% of the places we rate and 239th of 654 in California. On cost, space and class size it scores 50 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake of the Pines expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $664,300.

What salary do you need to live in Lake of the Pines?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $95,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake of the Pines?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Amityville, NY, Alta Sierra, CA, Palm City, FL and Hull, MA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake of the Pines with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake of the Pines itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-of-the-pines-california

Citytistics. “Lake of the Pines, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-of-the-pines-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.