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%

Yreka$1,460/mo

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

Colusa$2,140/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

10Yreka

11Colusa

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Yreka’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

YrekaColusa

Snow a year12″0″

January low27°F 38°F

July high93°F 92°F

Growing season (days)169d 293d

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

Outdoors & history

YrekaColusa

Trails14 mi 7 mi

Conserved land3.5%13.5%

Settled1857 1850

National Register places3 3

Archive photos6 6

Famous people born here10 8

Community

YrekaColusa

Library hours a week25 hrs 40 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.

YrekaCA ColusaCA

Yreka ↔ Colusa177 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

YrekaColusa

People

Population 7,820Highest 6,505Lowest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±1.8Highest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±1.6Lowest 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 $43,982±$11kLowest 56% below CA $71,250±$11kHighest 28% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $987±$79Lowest 52% below CA $1,132±$74Highest 44% 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 $1,605Lowest 69% below CA $2,210Highest 57% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 65.7%±11.3Lowest CA: 55.3% 68.4%±14.9Highest 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 17%Lowest CA: 12% 18.1%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 5.2%±3.2Highest CA: 17.2% 4%±3Lowest 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 52.8%Highest 25.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 miLowest 13.3 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColusaFew work in Yreka

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.5%Lowest 13.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 14.3 miHighest 7.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.4 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 9Highest

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

Schools

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

School district Siskiyou ROP · Yreka Union ElementaryColusa Unified

High school in town Yreka HighColusa High

Students per teacherat that high school 17.4Lowest 20.0Highest

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.

Yreka neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Yreka’s Town Square.

Colusa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colusa’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.

Yreka vs Colusa

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 Yreka and Colusa

Towns like Yreka

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