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.

Down paymentRate%

Colusa$2,140/mo

Typical home $372K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,132/mo · Housing →

Yreka$1,460/mo

Typical home $253K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $987/mo · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,200 a year, between Colusa and Yreka.

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.

Report cards

Colusa places higher on 11 of 21 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.

Safety

C+ColusaSafer than 35% of U.S. towns –YrekaNot graded

Schools

B−ColusaBetter than 45% of districts in the state C−YrekaBetter than 24% of districts in the state

Health

CColusaHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns C−YrekaHealthier than 19% of U.S. towns

11Colusa

10Yreka

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#599 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #275#615 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #180#439 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #645#397 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #568#802 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #651#823 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #617#765 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #180#58

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Colusa’s rankings →

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

ColusaYreka

Snow a year0″12″

January low38°F 27°F

July high92°F 93°F

Growing season (days)293d 169d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 85th

Outdoors & history

ColusaYreka

Trails7 mi 14 mi

Conserved land13.5%3.5%

Settled1850 1857

National Register places3 3

Archive photos6 6

Famous people born here8 10

Community

ColusaYreka

Library hours a week40 hrs 25 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

177 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ColusaCA YrekaCA

Colusa ↔ Yreka177 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.

Only big differences vs California average

ColusaYreka

People

Population 6,505Lowest 7,820Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +0.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 38.1±3.7Lowest about the CA average 39.6±3.4Highest 4% above CA

Yreka and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 30.2%±4.7Highest CA: 22% 25.2%±4.4Lowest CA: 22%

Colusa and Yreka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.4%±3.3Lowest CA: 15.7% 24.7%±3.8Highest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.8%Lowest CA: 37.1% 19%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 4.5%±1.8Highest CA: 7.6%

Yreka and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,250±$11kHighest 28% below CA $43,982±$11kLowest 56% below CA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $375,000±$29kHighest 49% below CA $263,200±$23kLowest 64% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,132±$74Highest 44% below CA $987±$79Lowest 52% below CA

Colusa and Yreka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,210Highest 57% below CA $1,605Lowest 69% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 68.4%±14.9Highest CA: 55.3% 65.7%±11.3Lowest CA: 55.3%

Colusa and Yreka are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 18.1%Highest CA: 12% 17%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.9%Highest CA: 55.9% 56.5%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA 1976Highest same as CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 31% below CA 16 minLowest 45% below CA

Work from home 4%±3Lowest CA: 17.2% 5.2%±3.2Highest CA: 17.2%

Yreka and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 25.2%Lowest 52.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miHighest 2.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.93Lowest 1.46Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Williams (7%)Redding (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in YrekaFew work in Colusa

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 13.5%Highest 3.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 7.1 miLowest 14.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 1.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.2Highest 37.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #248 of 574 in CA #254 of 574 in CA

School district Colusa UnifiedSiskiyou ROP · Yreka Union Elementary

High school in town Colusa HighYreka High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.0Highest 17.4Lowest

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.

Colusa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colusa’s Town Square.

Yreka neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Yreka’s Town Square.

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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.

Colusa vs Yreka

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Colusa

Colusa places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

177 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Colusa and Yreka

Towns like Colusa

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