Median Income
$82,673
household / year
Median Home Value
$408,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,176
gross / month
Cost of Living
111
national avg = 100

Is Hidden Valley Lake, CA a Good Place to Live?

Hidden Valley Lake is a small town of 5,852 in California, with a median household income of $82,673 and a 11.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 111 (US average = 100), which is 11% above the national average.

Strengths: Hidden Valley Lake stands out for solid school ratings (B-).

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Hidden Valley Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Hidden Valley Lake 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: 110.7

Hidden Valley Lake's overall cost of living index is 110.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Hidden Valley Lake costs roughly 11% more than the average American city.

Metric Hidden Valley Lake, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $408,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,176 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 76.3% 65.9%
Median Household Income $82,673 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Hidden Valley Lake's violent crime rate is 759.5 per 100,000 residents — 100% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
759.5 /100k
Property Crime
1281.3 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Hidden Valley Lake is served primarily by Middletown Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.5:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Hidden Valley Lake, CA National Avg
School District Middletown Unified —
Elementary Schools 3 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 20.5:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.7% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 95.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Hidden Valley Lake sees average highs of 54.8°F in January and 91.4°F in July, with 42.6 inches of annual precipitation and 0.3 inches of snow per year.

MetricHidden Valley Lake, CA
Average High — January54.8°F
Average High — July91.4°F
Annual Precipitation42.6"
Annual Snowfall0.3"

Demographics

MetricHidden Valley Lake, CANational Avg
Population5,852—
Median Age44.438.9
Unemployment Rate11.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time39.0 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)85.5%59.3%
Black or African American0.5%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino7.9%18.9%
Asian0.4%6.3%
Under 1823.2%22.2%
65 and over28.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Middletown, CA 5 mi Lower Lake, CA 8 mi Cobb, CA 9 mi Clearlake, CA 12 mi Clearlake Riviera, CA 14 mi

ZIP Codes in Hidden Valley Lake

Hidden Valley Lake, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes:

95467 95461

Hidden Valley Lake vs Other Cities

Hidden Valley Lake, CA vs Middletown, CA Hidden Valley Lake, CA vs Lower Lake, CA Hidden Valley Lake, CA vs Cobb, CA Hidden Valley Lake, CA vs Clearlake, CA Hidden Valley Lake, CA vs Clearlake Riviera, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Hidden Valley Lake's cost of living index is 111, where 100 is the national average. That puts Hidden Valley Lake roughly 11% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $408,300 and median rent is $2,176/month.
Hidden Valley Lake's violent crime rate is 759.5 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1281.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Hidden Valley Lake are operated by Middletown Unified. The district has 3 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.5:1. 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Hidden Valley Lake, CA has a population of 5,852, a median household income of $82,673, and an unemployment rate of 11.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Hidden Valley Lake averages 54.8°F in January and 91.4°F in July. Annual rainfall is 42.6 inches with about 0.3 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Hidden Valley Lake, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: 95467, 95461.
The population of Hidden Valley Lake, California is 5,852 with a median age of 44.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Hidden Valley Lake: cost of living index 111 (100 = US average), median home $408,300, median household income $82,673, crime index 144 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Hidden Valley Lake side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.