Penn Valley is a community in Nevada County, California, home to about 1,678 people across 2.1 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 95946.
Homes sold for a median of $257 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Lake Wildwood; part is in Penn Valley
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Penn Valley. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Penn Valley’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Sacramento International Airport (SMF)41 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Sacramento, CA46 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA390 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Penn Valley; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Penn Valley had 1,593 residents in the 2020 census, up 15% since 2000.
It’s the 932nd largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Nevada County grew from 17,789 residents in 1900 to 102,241 in 2020.
Nevada County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 33°F. About 53.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 9 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Grass Valley #2, CA weather station (7 miles away).
27,771 jobs at 3,323 businesses in Nevada County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
44 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Penn Valley.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 7 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 4 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 5 |
| Mental health providers | 16 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Penn Valley Union Elementary. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vantage Point CharterPenn Valley | K–12 | 33 | Charter | 1.2 mi |
| Williams Ranch ElementaryPenn Valley | K–3 | 247 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Ready Springs ElementaryPenn Valley | 4–8 | 255 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Penn Valley Union Special Education PreschoolPenn Valley | — | — | Public | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lake Wildwood.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.