The Town FilesWrightwood, California
Community in San Bernardino County · population 4,720 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $470,700
- Household income
- $74,332
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 62 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 44.2
Wrightwood is a community of 4,720 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $470,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 99% of California towns, better for retirees than 95% of California towns.
How Wrightwood 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 Wrightwood is worth $470,700, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.3 times the median household income of $74,332, which is more affordable than 52% of California towns. Median rent is $1,833 a month. 76.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wrightwood | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $470,700 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,833 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $74,332 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 76.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 16.3% | — |
Who lives in Wrightwood
| People | Wrightwood | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.5% | — |
| Work from home | 22.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 36.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Wrightwood
July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 25.6°F. About 21.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 61.8 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 158 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wrightwood since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on August 14, 2004 about 6.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 14, 2004.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on August 12, 1998.
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 Wrightwood itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.
Public schools in Wrightwood
1 public school with 338 students, about 24.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrightwood Elementary | K-5 | 338 | 24.1 |
Towns near Wrightwood
- Piñon Hills, CA6.9 mi · 7,258 people · home $440,600
- Phelan, CA8.7 mi · 13,859 people · home $386,800
- Oak Hills, CA13.2 mi · 9,450 people · home $527,500
- San Antonio Heights, CA13.2 mi · 3,441 people · home $1,071,800
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA15.3 mi · 174,453 people · home $740,200
- Upland, CA16.0 mi · 79,040 people · home $739,400
- Claremont, CA16.1 mi · 37,266 people · home $897,000
- La Verne, CA17.6 mi · 31,334 people · home $817,000
Wrightwood questions
Is Wrightwood, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wrightwood scores better for retirees than 95% of California towns and quieter than 87%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.2).
How much does a house cost in Wrightwood?
The median owner-occupied home in Wrightwood is valued at $470,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,332, so homes cost about 6.3 times income. Median rent is $1,833 a month.
What is the weather like in Wrightwood?
July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 25.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 21.1 inches of precipitation a year and 61.8 inches of snow.
Does Wrightwood get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wrightwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on August 14, 2004. 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)