The Town FilesLake Arrowhead, California
Community in San Bernardino County · population 12,401 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $596,500
- Household income
- $95,236
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 22 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 49.5
Lake Arrowhead is a community of 12,401 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $596,500, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 95% of California towns, quieter than 72% of California towns, better for retirees than 71% of California towns.
How Lake Arrowhead 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 Lake Arrowhead is worth $596,500, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.3 times the median household income of $95,236, which is more affordable than 52% of California towns. Median rent is $1,875 a month. 83.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lake Arrowhead | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $596,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,875 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $95,236 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 83.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 55.4% | — |
Who lives in Lake Arrowhead
| People | Lake Arrowhead | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 9.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 14.0% | — |
| Work from home | 21.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 37.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Lake Arrowhead
July highs average 81.1°F and January lows 28.7°F. About 37.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 22.4 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 105 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Lake Arrowhead since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on March 5, 2000.
Severe weather in San Bernardino County since 1996
San Bernardino County has been included in 61 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5537: Bridge Fire |
| September 7, 2024 | Fire | FM-5535: Line Fire |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County had 845,908 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,368 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Lake Arrowhead itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.
Public schools in Lake Arrowhead
5 public schools with 2,019 students, about 21.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rim of the World Senior High | 9-12 | 897 | 21.4 |
| Mary P. Henck Intermediate | 6-8 | 582 | 21.6 |
| Lake Arrowhead Elementary | K-5 | 422 | 24.8 |
| Rim Virtual Academy | K-12 | 83 | 20.8 |
| Mountain High | 9-12 | 35 | 11.7 |
Towns near Lake Arrowhead
- Running Springs, CA5.1 mi · 5,268 people · home $385,000
- Crestline, CA6.2 mi · 11,650 people · home $394,400
- Highland, CA9.7 mi · 56,999 people · home $485,600
- San Bernardino, CA10.3 mi · 222,101 people · home $422,300
- Muscoy, CA11.9 mi · 10,719 people · home $422,600
- Hesperia, CA12.6 mi · 99,818 people · home $409,000
- Mentone, CA13.8 mi · 9,557 people · home $436,700
- Redlands, CA13.9 mi · 73,168 people · home $618,900
Lake Arrowhead questions
Is Lake Arrowhead, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lake Arrowhead scores better for retirees than 71% of California towns and quieter than 72%. 25.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.5).
How much does a house cost in Lake Arrowhead?
The median owner-occupied home in Lake Arrowhead is valued at $596,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,236, so homes cost about 6.3 times income. Median rent is $1,875 a month.
What is the weather like in Lake Arrowhead?
July highs average 81.1°F and January lows 28.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.7 inches of precipitation a year and 22.4 inches of snow.
Does Lake Arrowhead get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Lake Arrowhead 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)