What it's like to live in Anderson
Anderson is a small city in California with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Anderson deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
How Anderson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Anderson
Based on Anderson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,924
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,480 a year
- 61% of Anderson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$56,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $28,300
- Homes cost 6.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 32% below US
$962/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $962 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $283,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $283,000 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Shasta County is 5.5%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Shasta County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 115% above US
710 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1338/100k · Anderson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 24% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 97°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 57% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (20 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Anderson's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($962/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Anderson
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