The Town FilesHanford, California
City in Kings County · population 57,990 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $349,400
- Household income
- $76,461
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 98°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 32.5
Hanford is a city of 57,990 people in Kings County, California. The median home is worth $349,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 72% of California towns, more vibrant than 71% of California towns, easier by car than 70% of California towns.
How Hanford 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 Hanford is worth $349,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $76,461, which is more affordable than 84% of California towns. Median rent is $1,309 a month. 62.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Hanford | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $349,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,309 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $76,461 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 62.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Hanford
| People | Hanford | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 28.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 9.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 14.8% | — |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Hanford
July highs average 97.9°F and January lows 37.3°F. About 8.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 108 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 24 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hanford since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 5, 1980 about 1.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 12, 1996.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on April 28, 2005.
Severe weather in Kings County since 1996
Kings County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Kings County
Kings County had 50,796 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,351 a year. Unemployment was 8.2% in 2023; in Hanford itself the ACS puts it at 9.5%.
Public schools in Hanford
30 public schools with 14,418 students, about 21.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanford High | 9-12 | 1,494 | 23.3 |
| Hanford West High | 9-12 | 1,336 | 21.9 |
| Sierra Pacific High | 9-12 | 1,102 | 25.6 |
| Kings Valley Academy II (charter) | K-12 | 1,066 | 21.8 |
| Kings River-Hardwick Elementary (charter) | K-8 | 850 | 23.6 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary | K-6 | 665 | 23.8 |
| Monroe Elementary | K-6 | 621 | 22.2 |
| Frontier Elementary (charter) | K-5 | 577 | 25.1 |
| Woodrow Wilson Junior High | 7-8 | 568 | 22.7 |
| Pioneer Middle (charter) | 6-8 | 558 | 24.3 |
| John F. Kennedy Junior High | 7-8 | 521 | 20.0 |
| Joseph M. Simas | K-6 | 511 | 22.2 |
Towns near Hanford
- Armona, CA2.9 mi · 4,274 people · home $284,100
- Lemoore, CA8.3 mi · 27,038 people · home $328,300
- Goshen, CA13.1 mi · 4,968 people · home $289,300
- Riverdale, CA13.8 mi · 3,477 people · home $283,600
- Kingsburg, CA14.5 mi · 12,380 people · home $373,800
- Lemoore Station, CA14.6 mi · 6,568 people · home —
- Selma, CA17.0 mi · 24,674 people · home $315,300
- Corcoran, CA17.7 mi · 22,339 people · home $236,100
Hanford questions
Is Hanford, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hanford scores better for retirees than 21% of California towns and quieter than 21%. 13.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.5).
How much does a house cost in Hanford?
The median owner-occupied home in Hanford is valued at $349,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,461, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,309 a month.
What is the weather like in Hanford?
July highs average 97.9°F and January lows 37.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 8.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Hanford get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hanford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 5, 1980. The typical California town has had 2.
- 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)