Is Fort Jones, CA a Good Place to Live?
Fort Jones is a small town of 618 in California, with a median household income of $44,911 and a 15.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 102 (US average = 100), which is 2% above the national average.
Strengths: Fort Jones stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fort Jones is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fort Jones city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 101.9Fort Jones's overall cost of living index is 101.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fort Jones costs roughly 2% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fort Jones, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $208,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,095 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $44,911 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeFort Jones's violent crime rate is 150.4 per 100,000 residents — 60% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fort Jones is served primarily by Scott Valley Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.8:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fort Jones, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Scott Valley Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 11.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fort Jones sees average highs of 46.1°F in January and 93.0°F in July, with 18.9 inches of annual precipitation and 11.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fort Jones, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 46.1°F |
| Average High — July | 93.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 18.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 11.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fort Jones, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 618 | — |
| Median Age | 41.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 15.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 16.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 79.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fort Jones
Fort Jones, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: