Is Truckee, CA a Good Place to Live?
Truckee is a small city of 16,784 in California, with a median household income of $107,423 and a 5.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 113 (US average = 100), which is 13% above the national average.
Strengths: Truckee stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Truckee is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Truckee 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: 113.4Truckee's overall cost of living index is 113.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Truckee costs roughly 13% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Truckee, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $785,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,042 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $107,423 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageTruckee's violent crime rate is 373.6 per 100,000 residents — 2% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Truckee is served primarily by Tahoe-Truckee Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.8:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Truckee, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Tahoe-Truckee Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 5 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 57.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Truckee sees average highs of 41.8°F in January and 83.8°F in July, with 30.6 inches of annual precipitation and 206.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Truckee, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 41.8°F |
| Average High — July | 83.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 206.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Truckee, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,784 | — |
| Median Age | 41.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 85.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Truckee
Truckee, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: