2012 · Public library · Library of Congress
Grass Valley’s story
Grass Valley in pictures
24 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 4 places on the National Register.
Grass ValleyCA
A town of 14,113. A regional job hub with 8,583 jobs.
Photo: AstroDominant · CC BY 4.0
Population
14,113
+9% since 2010
Typical home
$510K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
49.6
years
Jobs based here
8,583
A job hub
What makes Grass Valley stand out
The 3 things Grass Valley does most differently from other towns.
8,583jobs here
Work
8,583 jobs
based in Grass Valley, a regional job hub
28% of working residents work in town.
Outdoors
#135 most trails in CA
14 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
3.6% of the town is conserved land.
$510Ktypical home
Housing
$510K typical home
33% below the CA typical home
Up 0.9% in a year.
A job hub
Every workday, about 7,225 people come to Grass Valley for work
Where Grass Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,583jobs based in Grass Valley
28%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Grass Valley’s report card
Commute13 miHalf of commuters travel lessOutdoors14 mi#135 for trails in CAHousing$510K33% below the CA typical homeSafetyDLess crime than 12% of U.S. townsClimate89°/35°Summer high · winter low · 15″ snowHazards44/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damageSchoolsB−Beats 47% of CA districtsHealthB−Healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
Now in Grass Valley
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Grass Valley is #5 of 753 in CA for “Wettest”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Grass Valley’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →79°
Clear
H 87° · L 59°
Local news
All →- Bear River vs Away - Boys Varsity Basketball 12/08/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 26
- Watch the video replay of the Grass Valley City Council candidate forumLeague of Women Voters · Sep 25
- Bear River vs Mira Loma - Girls Junior Varsity Basketball 01/15/2027 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Grass Valley. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Grass Valley
About one in 4 of Grass Valley’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Nevada City (9%), Sacramento (4%) and San Francisco (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
28%work in town
Where working residents work
In Grass Valley28%
Nevada City9%
Sacramento4%
San Francisco3%
Roseville2%
13 mi
median commute distance
8,583
jobs based in Grass Valley
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
3.6% of Grass Valley is conserved land
14 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
#135for trails in CA
3.6%
conserved · 139 of 3,813 acres
14 mi
of trails · 2.3 per sq mi
#315
most walkable in CA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Condon Park | 1.5 mi | 81 |
| 2. Empire Mine State Historic Park | 0.5 mi | 21 |
| 3. Devere Mautino Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Grass Valley home is worth about $510K
The typical Grass Valley home is worth about $510,000, up 0.9% in a year, 33% below the California typical home.
$510KZillow home value
Typical home value
Grass Valley$510K
California$764K
Market temperature
62
days on market
99.6%
sale-to-list price
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
14
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 12% of U.S. towns
Grass Valley reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Grass Valley4
California4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Grass Valley15.5
California18.2
U.S.15.5
12th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
15th
percentile among CA towns
56
violent crimes reported in 2025
219
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Grass Valley has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
15″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter36–53°
Spring42–65°
Summer58–86°
Fall48–72°
Nov 20
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 44% of U.S. communities.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
10
paid flood claims since 1983
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Grass Valley’s public schools outperform 47% of California districts
The public schools Grass Valley’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 53% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Valley Charter | K–8 | 546 | Not graded |
| Margaret G. Scotten Elementary | K–4 | 357 | C |
| Bell Hill Academy | K–4 | 246 | A− |
| Lyman Gilmore Middle | 5–8 | 464 | B− |
| John Muir Charter | 6–12 | 629 | Not graded |
| William & Marian Ghidotti High | 9–12 | 155 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Health
Healthier than 52% of U.S. towns
Grass Valley beats the California average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. California
9 better14 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Grass Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.9% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 6.4% |
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
0.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
41st
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Landmarks
4 places in Grass Valley on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Grass Valley
32 notable people were born in Grass Valley.
E
Erika FloresAmerican actress · born 1979About Grass Valley
City in California, United States
Grass Valley is a city in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 14,016. Situated at roughly 2,500 feet (760 m) in elevation in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this northern Gold Country city is 57 miles (92 km) by car from Sacramento and 88 miles (142 km) west of Reno.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 14,016
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,411 ft
- ZIP code
- 95945, 95949
More about Grass Valley
Still missing for Grass Valley:upcoming events