Fortuna, CA vs Shasta Lake, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricFortuna, CAShasta Lake, CA
Population12,32610,311
Median Household Income$62,289$67,401
Median Rent$1,168/mo$1,298/mo
Median Home Value$379,700$294,400
Cost of Living (US = 100)—101
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income46.9%42.8%
Poverty Rate18.2%13.3%
Unemployment Rate5.3% (county)5.5% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k183320*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,356485*
Median AQI3844
Good AQI Days /yr285276
Summer Highs70°F94°F
Winter Lows42°F41°F
Snowfall1 in/yr1 in/yr
Avg Commute24.8 min19.5 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher18.519.2
College Degree Rate24.8%15.3%
Foreign-Born %14.1%2.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.1%-1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Shasta Lake (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.