The Town FilesBurney, California
Community in Shasta County · population 3,000 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $234,100
- Household income
- $65,969
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 90°
- Snow a year
- 45 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 51.7
Burney is a community of 3,000 people in Shasta County, California. The median home is worth $234,100, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 79% of California towns.
How Burney ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Burney is worth $234,100, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $65,969, which is more affordable than 95% of California towns. Median rent is $1,110 a month. 67.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Burney | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $234,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,110 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $65,969 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 67.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 9.1% | — |
Who lives in Burney
| People | Burney | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 34.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 11.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.5% | — |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 13.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Burney
July highs average 89.6°F and January lows 22.6°F. About 28.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.5 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 49 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 178 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Burney since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 11, 2014.
Severe weather in Shasta County since 1996
Shasta County has been included in 41 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| September 23, 2021 | Fire | FM-5417: Fawn Fire |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
| September 28, 2020 | Fire | FM-5377: Zogg Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Shasta County
Shasta County had 70,090 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,352 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Burney itself the ACS puts it at 9.2%.
Public schools in Burney
6 public schools with 625 students, about 18.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burney Elementary | K-6 | 346 | 20.4 |
| Burney Junior-Senior High | 7-12 | 246 | 16.4 |
| Mountain View High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 15 | — |
| Burney Community Day | 7-12 | 14 | 14.0 |
| Mt. Burney Special Education Center | K-12 | 4 | — |
| Burney Elementary Community Day | K-6 | — | — |
Burney questions
Is Burney, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Burney scores better for retirees than 59% of California towns and quieter than 79%. 34.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.7).
How much does a house cost in Burney?
The median owner-occupied home in Burney is valued at $234,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,969, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,110 a month.
What is the weather like in Burney?
July highs average 89.6°F and January lows 22.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.6 inches of precipitation a year and 44.5 inches of snow.
Does Burney get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Burney in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)