Hot-summer Mediterranean
Cottonwood, California
Shasta County, California · Population 7.2k · 433 ft elevation
Living in Cottonwood
Cottonwood has a hot-summer mediterranean climate: scorching summers (July highs around 100°F) and mild winters (January lows around 38°F).
Precipitation is moderate at about 34″ a year, and it sees only a dusting of snow (3″ a season).
Skies are exceptionally sunny (75% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is moderate: a median AQI of 44, with about 1 unhealthy-air day in the latest year.
Cottonwood is an outdoor hub: about 21% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 3,200 ft around town.
Cottonwood at a glance
- Population
- 7.2k
- Elevation
- 433 ft
- Average daily high
- 77°F81th percentile
- Average daily low
- 50°F69th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 34″24th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 3″34th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 3,397 hrs89th percentile
- Median AQI
- 4462th percentile
- Median home value
- $363k67th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,219/mo52th percentile
- Median household income
- $97k71th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.65%21th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 13.3%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 8.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.7%
- Homes with broadband
- 89%38th percentile
- Walkability index
- 5.79th percentile
- Average commute
- 23 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 47%52th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 37%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9357th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9191th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 10%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 21%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 3,150 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 38°F | 6.0″ | 1.1″ | 168 hrs |
| Feb | 61°F | 40°F | 5.5″ | 0.8″ | 181 hrs |
| Mar | 66°F | 43°F | 4.6″ | — | 227 hrs |
| Apr | 72°F | 47°F | 2.4″ | — | 281 hrs |
| May | 82°F | 55°F | 1.8″ | — | 354 hrs |
| Jun | 92°F | 63°F | 0.8″ | — | 397 hrs |
| Jul | 100°F | 67°F | 0.1″ | — | 432 hrs |
| Aug | 98°F | 64°F | 0.1″ | — | 399 hrs |
| Sep | 93°F | 58°F | 0.5″ | — | 337 hrs |
| Oct | 80°F | 50°F | 1.9″ | — | 278 hrs |
| Nov | 65°F | 42°F | 3.5″ | — | 193 hrs |
| Dec | 56°F | 37°F | 6.3″ | 0.7″ | 150 hrs |
Near Cottonwood
- Anderson, CA · 11k
- Lake California, CA · 3.8k
- Happy Valley, CA · 6k
- Redding, CA · 93k
- Palo Cedro, CA · 3.6k
- Red Bluff, CA · 15k
- Bella Vista, CA · 3.8k
- Shasta Lake, CA · 10k
Largest places in California
- Los Angeles, CA · 3.9M
- San Diego, CA · 1.4M
- San Jose, CA · 990k
- San Francisco, CA · 836k
- Fresno, CA · 544k
- Sacramento, CA · 525k
- Long Beach, CA · 458k
- Oakland, CA · 438k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology