The Town Files

Lucerne, California

Community in Lake County · population 3,266 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lucerne is in CaliforniaLucerne
Median home
$243,500
Household income
$56,625
Jan low / Jul high
33° / 91°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
40.9

Lucerne is a community of 3,266 people in Lake County, California. The median home is worth $243,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 80% of California towns, hipper than 76% of California towns, quieter than 74% of California towns.

How Lucerne 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.

Lucerne lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement65th pctFamilies8th pctQuiet74th pctWalkability3rd pctFirst-time buyers47th pctYoung professionals17th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy76th pctCollege town31st pctUpscale6th pctVacation homes80th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling50th pctTransitbottomDriving10th 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 Lucerne is worth $243,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $56,625, which is more affordable than 87% of California towns. Median rent is $1,408 a month. 68.3% of households own their home.

Lucerne vs Lake County vs typical California townLucerneLake CountyTypical California townHome value$243,500$324,300$596,900Household income$56,625$60,621$91,557Monthly rent$1,408$1,368$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingLucerneTypical California town
Median home value$243,500$596,900
Median rent$1,408$1,827
Median household income$56,625$91,557
Home value ÷ income4.3×6.4×
Homeownership68.3%67.4%
Median year built19721977
Seasonal / vacation homes9.5%—

Who lives in Lucerne

PeopleLucerneTypical California town
Median age40.940.2
Age 65 and over23.7%17.7%
Under 1818.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher6.2%27.7%
Below the poverty line19.4%10.3%
Veterans9.8%—
Born outside the U.S.2.9%—
Work from home12.4%13.4%
Average commute38.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband86.2%93.3%

Weather in Lucerne

July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 32.6°F. About 29.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 66 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 72 nights at or below freezing.

Lucerne monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing55°33°Jan58°34°Feb62°35°Mar66°39°Apr73°45°May83°52°Jun91°56°Jul91°54°Aug85°50°Sep75°43°Oct63°36°Nov55°33°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue6.20.16.20.14.00.12.01.20.20.00.10.20.92.96.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Clearlake 4 Se station (14.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Lucerne since 1950.

Severe weather in Lake County since 1996

Storm events in Lake County since 1996 by typeHail1Flood25High Wind4Lightning1Heavy Rain21Heavy Snow1Debris Flow2Flash Flood2
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lake County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Lake County has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 8, 2024FireFM-5536: Boyles Fire
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 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
September 12, 2021FireDR-4619: Wildfires

Jobs and pay in Lake County

Lake County had 17,522 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,849 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Lucerne itself the ACS puts it at 6.7%.

Largest industries in Lake CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,202 jobs · $48,095Retail2,218 jobs · $38,239Hotels & restaurants1,105 jobs · $26,477Construction874 jobs · $64,906Transportation & warehousing418 jobs · $91,406Utilities392 jobs · $164,955
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lake County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Lake 5.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Lucerne

1 public school with 292 students, about 20.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Lucerne ElementaryK-829220.9

Towns near Lucerne

Lucerne questions

Is Lucerne, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lucerne scores better for retirees than 65% of California towns and quieter than 74%. 23.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.9).

How much does a house cost in Lucerne?

The median owner-occupied home in Lucerne is valued at $243,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,625, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,408 a month.

What is the weather like in Lucerne?

July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 32.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 29.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.

Does Lucerne get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Lucerne in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lucerne's Census boundary (GEOID 0644406). 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.