The Town Files

Exeter, California

City in Tulare County · population 10,321 (2020 Census)

Map: where Exeter is in CaliforniaExeter
Median home
$307,600
Household income
$75,769
Jan low / Jul high
37° / 96°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
34.8

Exeter is a city of 10,321 people in Tulare County, California. The median home is worth $307,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 90% of California towns.

How Exeter 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.

Exeter lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement24th pctFamilies23rd pctQuiet39th pctWalkability64th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals25th pctVibrancy54th pctHip & trendy56th pctCollege town24th pctUpscale23rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling62nd pctTransitbottomDriving90th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Exeter is worth $307,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $75,769, which is more affordable than 90% of California towns. Median rent is $1,286 a month. 54.7% of households own their home.

Exeter vs Tulare County vs typical California townExeterTulare CountyTypical California townHome value$307,600$330,100$596,900Household income$75,769$71,300$91,557Monthly rent$1,286$1,280$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingExeterTypical California town
Median home value$307,600$596,900
Median rent$1,286$1,827
Median household income$75,769$91,557
Home value ÷ income4.1×6.4×
Homeownership54.7%67.4%
Median year built19791977
Seasonal / vacation homes1.0%—

Who lives in Exeter

PeopleExeterTypical California town
Median age34.840.2
Age 65 and over13.9%17.7%
Under 1828.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher13.9%27.7%
Below the poverty line14.2%10.3%
Veterans3.8%—
Born outside the U.S.11.6%—
Work from home3.4%13.4%
Average commute20.7 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband92.7%93.3%

Weather in Exeter

July highs average 96.3°F and January lows 37.0°F. About 12.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 116 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 29 nights at or below freezing.

Exeter monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing57°37°Jan63°40°Feb69°44°Mar75°47°Apr83°52°May91°58°Jun96°64°Jul96°62°Aug91°57°Sep79°49°Oct66°41°Nov57°36°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.30.22.22.01.30.50.10.10.00.10.71.11.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lindsay station (8.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Exeter since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on January 20, 1997 about 2.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 20, 1997.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Exeter by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s11990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Tulare County since 1996

Storm events in Tulare County since 1996 by typeHeat114Flood218Drought209Dense Fog356High Wind190Heavy Rain47Heavy Snow173Frost/Freeze118
NOAA Storm Events Database, Tulare County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 12 deaths recorded.

Tulare County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
September 13, 2020FireFM-5373: Sqf Fire Complex

Jobs and pay in Tulare County

Tulare County had 177,657 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,038 a year. Unemployment was 10% in 2023; in Exeter itself the ACS puts it at 9.6%.

Largest industries in Tulare CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…36,225 jobs · $38,178Health care & social assistan…20,651 jobs · $46,913Retail16,923 jobs · $37,311Manufacturing13,156 jobs · $67,481Hotels & restaurants12,919 jobs · $26,795Transportation & warehousing9,224 jobs · $69,126
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Tulare County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Tulare 10%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Exeter

7 public schools with 2,610 students, about 21.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Exeter Union High9-1290023.7
Lincoln ElementaryK-554721.9
Rocky Hill ElementaryK-553121.2
Wilson Middle6-852820.3
Exeter Independent Study (Alternative)K-125226.0
Kaweah High9-123511.7
Exeter Community Day1-1217—

Towns near Exeter

Exeter questions

Is Exeter, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Exeter scores better for retirees than 24% of California towns and quieter than 39%. 13.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.8).

How much does a house cost in Exeter?

The median owner-occupied home in Exeter is valued at $307,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,769, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,286 a month.

What is the weather like in Exeter?

July highs average 96.3°F and January lows 37.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.

Does Exeter get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Exeter since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on January 20, 1997. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Exeter's Census boundary (GEOID 0623126). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.