The Town FilesLindsay, California
City in Tulare County · population 12,659 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $286,400
- Household income
- $53,201
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 31.0
Lindsay is a city of 12,659 people in Tulare County, California. The median home is worth $286,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 82% of California towns.
How Lindsay 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 Lindsay is worth $286,400, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $53,201, which is more affordable than 69% of California towns. Median rent is $1,009 a month. 49.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lindsay | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $286,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,009 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $53,201 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 49.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Lindsay
| People | Lindsay | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 32.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 33.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 1.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 30.8% | — |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 76.1% | 93.3% |
Weather in Lindsay
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.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Lindsay since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on January 20, 1997 about 7.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 20, 1997.
Severe weather in Tulare County since 1996
Tulare County has been included in 23 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 |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| September 13, 2020 | Fire | FM-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 Lindsay itself the ACS puts it at 17.8%.
Public schools in Lindsay
11 public schools with 3,987 students, about 21.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsay Senior High | 9-12 | 1,109 | 19.8 |
| Washington Elementary | K-8 | 744 | 24.0 |
| Roosevelt Elementary | K-8 | 502 | 23.9 |
| Lincoln Elementary | K-8 | 384 | 19.2 |
| Jefferson Elementary | K-8 | 381 | 22.4 |
| Reagan Elementary | K-8 | 373 | 21.9 |
| Kennedy Elementary | K-8 | 360 | 21.2 |
| John J. Cairns Continuation | 9-12 | 72 | 10.3 |
| Loma Vista Charter (charter) | K-12 | 43 | 43.0 |
| Lindsay Community Day | 7-12 | 19 | 19.0 |
| Lindsay Preschool | Other | — | — |
Towns near Lindsay
- Strathmore, CA4.6 mi · 2,830 people · home $213,200
- Exeter, CA6.6 mi · 10,321 people · home $307,600
- Farmersville, CA9.2 mi · 10,397 people · home $248,500
- Porterville, CA10.6 mi · 62,623 people · home $285,700
- East Porterville, CA12.3 mi · 5,549 people · home $257,700
- Tulare, CA13.8 mi · 68,875 people · home $329,800
- Ivanhoe, CA14.0 mi · 4,468 people · home $228,100
- Woodlake, CA14.1 mi · 7,419 people · home $300,200
Lindsay questions
Is Lindsay, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lindsay scores better for retirees than 5% of California towns and quieter than 24%. 10.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.0).
How much does a house cost in Lindsay?
The median owner-occupied home in Lindsay is valued at $286,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,201, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,009 a month.
What is the weather like in Lindsay?
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 Lindsay get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Lindsay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on January 20, 1997. 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)