City · Modoc County, California

Alturas, California

Alturas is a city in Modoc County, California. It has 2,681 residents. Alturas, California has a quality-of-life score of 7 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,586 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #920 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on grocery stores (high), public libraries (high) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on flu vaccinations (low), social associations (low) and injury deaths (high).

7Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,586 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #920 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 2,681 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 944.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 0601444

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety16#13,184/15,637
Economy8#14,349/15,631
Housing19#12,150/14,977
Health14#13,490/15,609
Healthcare40#9,407/15,650
Environment58#6,439/15,453
Education11#13,956/15,649
Infrastructure6#14,745/15,650
Community4#15,085/15,651
Leisure & amenities47#8,274/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alturas, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Modoc County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Grocery stores · high5.9 /10k
100/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsModoc County value
Public libraries · high4.7 /10k
99/100California 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesModoc County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low92 min
98/100California 179 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesModoc County value
Public EV charging ports · high11.9 /10k
87/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyModoc County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low6.2 µg/m³
87/100California 9.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyModoc County value
Property crime rate · low629 /100k
82/100California 1,792 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationModoc County value

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low17.0%
0/100California 41.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModoc County value
Social associations · low3.5 /10k
2/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModoc County value
Injury deaths · high155 /100k
3/100California 67 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModoc County value
Traffic deaths · high41.9 /100k
3/100California 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataModoc County value
Math scores · low2.49
3/100California 2.79United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModoc County value
Distance to an airport · high129 mi
4/100California 22 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauModoc County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
9.2% (2015-2019) → 32.8% (2020-2024)
+24 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeWorsening
9.7 min (2015-2019) → 18.5 min (2020-2024)
+91%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
66.6% (2015-2019) → 84.4% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$37,917 (2015-2019) → $59,896 (2020-2024)
+58%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
11.1% (2015-2019) → 5.3% (2020-2024)
−5.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.400 (2015-2019) → 0.506 (2020-2024)
+26%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Alturas, California improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++24 points9.2% → 32.8%
Household income+58%$37,917 → $59,896
Broadband+18 points66.6% → 84.4%

Declined1

Inequality+0.1060.400 → 0.506

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Alturas, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	9.7 min2015-2019	18.5 min2020-2024	+8.8 min	Within the margin of error	3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.2%2015-2019	32.8%2020-2024	+24 points	Improved	100%
Broadband subscriptions	66.6%2015-2019	84.4%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	86%
Effective property tax rate	0.73%2015-2019	0.78%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	11%
High school diploma or higher	87.6%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	+0.4×	Within the margin of error	53%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4002015-2019	0.5062020-2024	+0.106	Declined	4%
Median household income	$37,9172015-2019	$59,8962020-2024	+58%	Improved	90%
Poverty rate	18.1%2015-2019	18.0%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	23.9%2015-2019	28.7%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent-burdened households	41.3%2015-2019	44.9%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	43%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Alturas, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alturas, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Alturas, California itself moved −4.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,681 residents (±18)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+9.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,681 residents (±18)

Alturas, California
California share

White71%1,911
Black0.5%†14
Hispanic or Latino19%†505

Education

1,906 residents (±143)

Alturas, California
California share

No high school diploma11%†208
High school or GED30%†569
Some college20%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,073 households (±157)

Alturas, California
California share

Under $25k26%†274
$25k–50k21%†226
$50k–75k21%†225
$75k–100k9.7%†104
$100k–150k14%†150
$150k–200k4.8%†51
$200k or more4.0%†43

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,073 households (±157)

Alturas, California
California share

Own67%719
Rent33%354

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

318 households (±98)

Alturas, California
California share

Under $75038%†120
$750–1,00033%†105
$1,000–1,50021%†

Home values

719 homes (±141)

Alturas, California
California share

Under $150k34%†242
$150k–250k46%†333
$250k–400k17%†120

Age of homes

1,363 homes (±147)

Alturas, California
California share

2010 or later0.0%0
2000–20092.6%†36
1980–199916%†215

Size of homes

1,363 homes (±147)

Alturas, California
California share

Studio4.6%†63
1 bedroom7.4%†101
2 bedrooms28%†388

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,027 workers (±165)

Alturas, California
California share

Drive alone64%662
Carpool12%†127
Public transit0.0%0
Walk15%†157
Bike0.0%0
Work from home7.0%†72
Other0.9%†9

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−25.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

955 workers (±192)

Alturas, California
California share

Under 15 min70%673
15–29 min4.8%†46
30–44 min6.7%†64

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Modoc County, the county holding most of Alturas's residents.

Modoc County has 160 employer establishments, 187 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248; 0.71× California's), with 1,258 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,778. The Census Bureau also counts 560 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 160; 560 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 187; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 1,258
Average annual pay: $55,778; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Modoc County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	13	15.2	0.83×About typical	99	$24,172	7
Grocery and convenience stores	10	11.7	3.94×More than typical	115	$28,774	—
Ambulatory health care services	8	9.4	0.45×Too few to compare	36	$67,833	21
Construction of buildings	8	9.4	1.24×Too few to compare	19	$35,632	40
Full-service restaurants	8	9.4	1.22×Too few to compare	56	$21,482	4
Specialty trade contractors	8	9.4	0.60×Too few to compare	22	$72,045	48
Building equipment contractors	5	5.9	0.97×Too few to compare	7	$90,143	10
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	4	4.7	1.15×Too few to compare	9	$32,444	11
Automotive repair and maintenance	4	4.7	0.93×Too few to compare	23	$42,043	8
Lessors of real estate	4	4.7	0.38×Too few to compare	5	$34,400	30
Traveler accommodation	4	4.7	2.59×Too few to compare	29	$29,310	3
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	3	3.5	2.01×Too few to compare	23	$41,348	—

Rank places for an industry Open Modoc County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 8,542 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Alturas is mostly in Modoc County.

See federal money in Modoc County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Alturas, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

James GallagherR-CA-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 93%Missed 6.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Modoc County27100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Modoc County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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