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Williams Hardware (2024)-L1006116

WilliamsCA

A town of 5,585, settled in 1920. Public schools that outperform most of California.

Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
5,585
+8.1% since 2010
Typical home
$382K
+1% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
30.4
years
Jobs based here
1,269
A commuter town

What makes Williams stand out

The 3 things Williams does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Williams’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Williams

What neighbors are saying. Town Square →

TUnder 10 neighbors so farJoin Williams →
Residents weigh in
Williams is #12 of 720 in CA for “Highest graduation rate”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Williams’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 3d · Town talk

Remembering Old Williams

I was thinking about how our town has changed over the years, especially since it was established back in 1920. It's interesting to consider what used to be…

Or start one of these
58°
Sunny
H 92° · L 59°

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Williams. Another town gets a different order.

Schools

Williams’s public schools outperform 79% of California districts

The public schools Williams’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 79% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

A−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Williams Primary ElementaryK–3407Not graded
Williams Upper Elementary4–6289D−
Williams Junior/Senior High7–12588A+
S. William Abel Academy7–1243D−
Mid Valley High (Continuation)10–1219Not graded
Coastal Buttes AcademyK–1212Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Housing

A typical Williams home is worth about $382K

The typical Williams home is worth about $382,000, up 1% in a year, 50% below the California typical home.

$382KZillow home value

Typical home value

Williams$382K
California$764K
+1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health

Healthier than 45% of U.S. towns

Williams beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.

B−Health Grade
32 measures vs. California
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
What stands outWilliamsCA
Fewer adults who have had cancer5.1%6.4%
More uninsured adults19.6%10.6%
Colusa Medical Center
8.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
35th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute

About one in six working residents works right in Williams

Most working residents leave Williams for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are Colusa (7%), Woodland (5%) and Sacramento (4%). Half commute less than 28 miles.

18%work in town

Where working residents work

In Williams18%
Colusa7%
Woodland5%
Sacramento4%
Yuba City3%
28 mi
median commute distance
1,269
jobs based in Williams
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards

High risk, with drought at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities.

76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
76High riskLowerHigher
DroughtEarthquakesInland flooding
10
paid flood claims since 1998
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 34% of U.S. towns

Williams reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 66% report less. Within California, it does better than 56% of towns.

CSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Williams2
California4.3
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Williams6.2
California18.2
U.S.15.5
34th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
56th
percentile among CA towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
35
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate

Mild winters, hot summers

Williams has mild winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.

96°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter39–59°
Spring47–75°
Summer60–94°
Fall49–79°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors

0.8% of Williams is conserved land

1.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.

0.8%conserved
Map of Williams: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
0.8%
conserved · 24 of 3,154 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Valley Vista Park—9
2. Venice Park—3
3. North View Park0.1 mi2
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Sacramento Valley Museum building
1923 · Sacramento Valley Museum building · Wikimedia Commons
Williams’s story

106 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.

Traveler's Motel - Hotel, Williams, California (83427)Williams 1936 Aerial PhotoRazor's Edge Barber Shop
Explore the history →

About Williams

City in California, United States

Official town website ↗

Williams (formerly Central) is a city in Colusa County, California, United States. The population was 5,538 at the 2020 census, up from 5,123 at the 2010 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1920
Population
5,538
Area
5.4 sq mi
Elevation
82 ft
ZIP code
95987
Area code
530

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Photo of Williams

Williams, CA · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗