Best Places96023, CA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 96023, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
96023 ranks 29,446th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and civic engagement ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 96023
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
96023's strengths and weaknesses
Where 96023 ranks high
- Short commute16.5 minutes each way, better than 94% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than 91% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 147 pleasant days a year, better than 88% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 78% of zip codes
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 77% of zip codes
Where 96023 ranks low
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 1% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 3% of zip codes
- School gradeD−, better than only 3% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 4% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than only 4% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 96023
A household needs to earn about $45,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 96023 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $48,885, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 96023's effective rate of 0.54%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 96023
96023's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 96023.
Who works in 96023, and how
Work in 96023 centers on agriculture & forestry and education. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 79%
- Work from home 12%
- Transit, walk, or bike 9%
Life in 96023
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 96023.
What the weather is like in 96023, month by month
96023 sees roughly 147 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 44, with lows near 22. The comfortable stretch runs June through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 32° | 22° |
| April | 62° | 45° | 29° |
| July | 90° | 70° | 47° |
| October | 67° | 47° | 29° |
Flying in and out of 96023
The nearest airport, Rogue Valley International/Medford, is about 56 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Sacramento International, about 227 miles away.
The best schools in and around 96023
Schools across 96023 average a D−, better than 3% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Henley Elementary SchoolC+ · 38% proficient
- Merrill Elementary SchoolC− · 25% proficient
- Keno Elementary SchoolD+ · 24% proficient
Top middle schools
- Henley Middle SchoolC− · 29% proficient
Top high schools
- Yreka HighB+ · 58% proficient
- Butte Valley HighD− · 14% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 96023 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
96023 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 96023 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 96023
Is 96023 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 96023 ranks 29,446th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on short commutes, walkability, and the weather, and lowest on civic engagement and the cost of living against local pay. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 96023 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $177,368. The overall cost of living runs about 7% above the national average. Set against a $48,885 median income, cost of living beats 3% of zip codes.
Is 96023 safe?
96023 is safer than 32% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $417 per resident a year.
Compare 96023 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 96023. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 96023 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
96023 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 96023: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 96023: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 96023: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 96023: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
96023 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.