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Compare towns

Blythe vs Clearlake

577 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (5.5× in Clearlake) and growth since 2010 (+21.4 pts in Clearlake).

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Blythe, CAHomes around $217KCalifornia · 17,396 people
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Clearlake, CAHomes around $210KCalifornia · 16,659 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Clearlake places higher on 12 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Blythe$1,280/mo
Typical home $217K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →
Clearlake$1,220/mo
Typical home $210K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,240/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Blythe and Clearlake.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BlytheClearlake
Snow a year0″0″
January low40°F33°F
July high110°F91°F
Growing season (days)325d209d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th95th
Outdoors & history
BlytheClearlake
Conserved land5.9%2.6%
Settled19161980
Archive photos3015
Famous people born here—2
Community
BlytheClearlake
Library hours a week36 hrs35 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

577 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Blythe ↔ Clearlake577 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BlytheClearlake
People
Population 17,396Highest 16,659Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12%Lowest CA: +6.1% +9.4%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 38.3±1.7Lowest about the CA average 38.8±3.7Highest about the CA average
Clearlake and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.3%±2.5Lowest CA: 22% 25.5%±3.3Highest CA: 22%
Clearlake and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.2%±1.6Lowest CA: 15.7% 17.1%±2.3Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.5%Highest CA: 37.1% 7.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9%±1.3Highest CA: 7.6% 3.7%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,625±$12kHighest 43% below CA $41,867±$4kLowest 58% below CA
Blythe and Clearlake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $225,000±$18kHighest 69% below CA $214,200±$13kLowest 71% below CA
Blythe and Clearlake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $938±$107Lowest 54% below CA $1,240±$165Highest 39% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,830Highest 64% below CA $1,457Lowest 72% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.3%±9.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 74.2%±8.8Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 18.9%Lowest CA: 12% 25.5%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 59.5%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 4 yrs newer than CA 1976Lowest same as CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 34% below CA 33 minHighest 15% above CA
Work from home 3.3%±2Lowest CA: 17.2% 12.2%±3.6Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 35.7%Highest 25%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 77.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Highest 0.66Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Ehrenberg (5%)Lakeport (6%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ClearlakeFew work in Blythe
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.9%Highest 2.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 10.3 miLowest 16.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 15.0Lowest 83.1Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #551 of 574 in CA#511 of 574 in CA
School district Palo Verde UnifiedKonocti Unified
High school in town Palo Verde HighNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 21.0 —
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Blythe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Blythe’s Town Square.

Clearlake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clearlake’s Town Square.

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Bordering Blythe

Towns like Blythe

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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