What it's like to live in Susanville
Susanville 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. Susanville 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
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
How Susanville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Susanville
Based on Susanville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,804
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,080 a year
- 35% of Susanville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,550
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$902/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $902 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 $235,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,500 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
6.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lassen County is 6.7%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Lassen County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 116% above US
712 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 929/100k · Susanville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 39% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.9 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 68% below US
11% 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 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lassen Volcanic National Park (42 miles away).
Bottom line
Susanville'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 ($902/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less 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 and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Susanville
All California guides →Moving to Truckee →
78 mi away · pop. 17,066
Rent $1,961/mo · Income $130,462
Compare with Susanville →Moving to Oroville →
81 mi away · pop. 19,752
Rent $1,093/mo · Income $52,270
Compare with Susanville →Moving to Grass Valley →
86 mi away · pop. 14,113
Rent $1,458/mo · Income $51,764
Compare with Susanville →Not sure Susanville is the one?
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