South Lake Tahoe 68 Good
South Lake Tahoe Livability #295 ranked city in California#9,118 ranked city in the USARanks better than 68% of areas

Pros and Cons of Living in South Lake Tahoe

PROS
  • Health & Safety

    Accessible health facilities like hospitals, doctors offices, clinics and nursing homes as well as good air quality are all factors that have led to a high score in this category.

  • Ratings

    According to recent surveys and polls, locals had excellent ratings for walkability to nearby amenities, safety, access to public transit and the overall sense of community in the area.

CONS
  • Commute

    Low commute scores could be due to limited access to public transit in this area, as well as longer-than-average work commute times for residents.

  • Cost Of Living

    This area is known for its high cost of living, which means you should anticipate higher costs for everyday goods and services, housing, groceries, and health care.

  • Crime

    Reporting high crime rates per 100,000 people, this area may be perceived as an unsafe place to reside. These statistics encompass both violent and property crime rates.

  • Schools

    The low schools score might be a result of factors like lower than average education levels, lackluster reading and math scores and the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools.

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What's it like Living in South Lake Tahoe?

South Lake Tahoe, California is a medium-sized city with a population of 22,535 inhabitants. If we take a look at the last Census, the vast majority of the population falls within one racial group (81% White). Given that fact, South Lake Tahoe could be considered less diverse than other cities. Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of South Lake Tahoe are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 22% of the population also speak Spanish. In South Lake Tahoe, only 46% of people over the age of fifteen are married. This city could be a good option for singles ready to mingle. Not a fan of sitting in traffic during your commute to work? South Lake Tahoe offers shorter work commutes, with an average one-way commute time taking only 16 minutes, far lower than the national average of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in South Lake Tahoe could be a positive experience compared to other cities in California if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Finding the best places to live in South Lake Tahoe and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes amenities, crime, cost of living, employment, housing and other important metrics.

The livability score in South Lake Tahoe is 67 out of 100 and the city is ranked in the 70th percentile of all cities across America. There are some categories that South Lake Tahoe scores poorly for, including: crime (D), cost of living (F) and education (D-). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.

There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are attainable, we'll need to know if the real estate in South Lake Tahoe is actually affordable. The median home price for South Lake Tahoe homes is $425,700, which is 4% higher than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in South Lake Tahoe, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 8.1, which is 26.6% higher than the California average.

Best Places to Live in and Around South Lake Tahoe

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How Do You Rate The Livability In South Lake Tahoe?

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Compare South Lake Tahoe, CA Livability

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      South Lake Tahoe transportation information

      Statistic South Lake Tahoe California National
      Average one way commute16min28min26min
      Workers who drive to work68.3%73.5%76.4%
      Workers who carpool9.4%10.6%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit3.2%5.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle3.5%1.1%0.6%
      Workers who walk6.2%2.7%2.8%
      Working from home8.2%5.4%4.6%
      Source: The South Lake Tahoe, CA data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).