The Town Files

Santa Clarita, California

City in Los Angeles County · population 228,673 (2020 Census)

Aerial view of Santa Clarita, California
Aerial: USDA NAIP (public domain)
Median home
$784,700
Household income
$123,062
Jan low / Jul high
47° / 94°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
38.4

Santa Clarita is a city of 228,673 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $784,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 80% of California towns, more of a college town than 80% of California towns, better for families than 79% of California towns.

Map: where Santa Clarita is in CaliforniaSanta Clarita

How Santa Clarita 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.

Santa Clarita lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement37th pctFamilies79th pctQuiet29th pctWalkability65th pctFirst-time buyers80th pctYoung professionals64th pctVibrancy73rd pctHip & trendy58th pctCollege town80th pctUpscale71st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling49th pctTransit78th pctDriving49th 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 Santa Clarita is worth $784,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.4 times the median household income of $123,062, which is more affordable than 50% of California towns. Median rent is $2,544 a month. 71.8% of households own their home.

Santa Clarita vs Los Angeles County vs typical California townSanta ClaritaLos Angeles CountyTypical California townHome value$784,700$834,200$596,900Household income$123,062$90,112$91,557Monthly rent$2,544$1,954$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingSanta ClaritaTypical California town
Median home value$784,700$596,900
Median rent$2,544$1,827
Median household income$123,062$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.4×6.4×
Homeownership71.8%67.4%
Median year built19871977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in Santa Clarita

PeopleSanta ClaritaTypical California town
Median age38.440.2
Age 65 and over13.5%17.7%
Under 1824.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher39.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line7.4%10.3%
Veterans4.1%—
Born outside the U.S.22.2%—
Work from home18.5%13.4%
Average commute34.1 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.7%93.3%

Weather in Santa Clarita

July highs average 94.2°F and January lows 46.6°F. About 16.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 87 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.

Santa Clarita monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°63°47°Jan65°45°Feb70°47°Mar74°49°Apr81°54°May87°57°Jun94°63°Jul96°64°Aug91°62°Sep81°56°Oct71°49°Nov62°44°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.20.14.42.90.80.30.00.00.00.10.50.82.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newhall 5Nw station (5.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Santa Clarita since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, unrated, struck on December 20, 1952 about 2.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 20, 1952.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Santa Clarita by decade11950s01960s01970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on March 7, 2024.

Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996

Storm events in Los Angeles County since 1996 by typeHail23Flood24Tornado18Wildfire34High Wind171Lightning10Heavy Rain9Debris Flow24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Los Angeles County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 74 deaths recorded.

Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 8, 2025FireFM-5605: Canyon Fire
January 8, 2025FireDR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds
January 8, 2025FireFM-5550: Eaton Fire
January 8, 2025FireFM-5551: Hurst Fire
January 7, 2025FireFM-5549: Palisades Fire

Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Santa Clarita itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.

Largest industries in Los Angeles CountyHealth care & social assistan…818,122 jobs · $57,296Hotels & restaurants436,540 jobs · $36,750Retail398,015 jobs · $50,556Manufacturing311,242 jobs · $95,918Professional & technical serv…305,604 jobs · $133,862Administrative & support271,747 jobs · $57,712
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Los Angeles County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Los Angeles 5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Santa Clarita

36 public schools with 25,049 students, about 24.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Saugus High9-122,29524.2
Golden Valley High9-121,99321.9
Canyon High9-121,96624.0
Arroyo Seco Junior High7-81,24024.3
Rio Norte Junior High7-81,11023.6
La Mesa Junior High7-81,02318.9
Sierra Vista Junior High7-897419.5
Mountainview ElementaryK-691425.4
Fair Oaks Ranch CommunityK-686127.8
Plum Canyon ElementaryK-684927.4
Bridgeport ElementaryK-683326.0
Emblem AcademyK-677725.9

Towns near Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita questions

Is Santa Clarita, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Clarita scores better for retirees than 37% of California towns and quieter than 29%. 13.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.4).

How much does a house cost in Santa Clarita?

The median owner-occupied home in Santa Clarita is valued at $784,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $123,062, so homes cost about 6.4 times income. Median rent is $2,544 a month.

What is the weather like in Santa Clarita?

July highs average 94.2°F and January lows 46.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.

Does Santa Clarita get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Santa Clarita since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events). The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Santa Clarita's Census boundary (GEOID 0669088). 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 2026-11-13.