South Lake Tahoe is a city in El Dorado County, California, home to about 21,269 people across 10 square miles. Its ZIP code is 96150.
Homes sold for a median of $467 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly South Lake Tahoe; also Meyers
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside South Lake Tahoe. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up South Lake Tahoe’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO)42 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Truckee Tahoe Airport (TKF)29 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Reno, NV44 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA349 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of South Lake Tahoe; 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.
South Lake Tahoe had 21,330 residents in the 2020 census, down 10% since 2000.
It’s the 341st largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
El Dorado County grew from 8,986 residents in 1900 to 191,185 in 2020.
El Dorado County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 18°F. About 20.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA weather station (about a mile away).
49,522 jobs at 5,005 businesses in El Dorado County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
402 doctors and other health care providers list an office in South Lake Tahoe.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 29 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 64 |
| Dentists | 30 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 31 |
| Mental health providers | 175 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 49 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 19 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
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 (6 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2.5 miles 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.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Lake Tahoe Unified. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijou CommunitySouth Lake Tahoe | K–5 | 422 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Elevated Digital Learning AcademySouth Lake Tahoe | K–12 | 116 | Alternative Education | 1.6 mi |
| Meyers ElementarySouth Lake Tahoe | K–5 | 334 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Sierra House ElementarySouth Lake Tahoe | K–5 | 418 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Tahoe Valley ElementarySouth Lake Tahoe | K–5 | 395 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| South Tahoe MiddleSouth Lake Tahoe | 6–8 | 716 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Mt. Tallac HighSouth Lake Tahoe | 9–12 | 50 | Alternative Education | 1.6 mi |
| South Tahoe HighSouth Lake Tahoe | 9–12 | 1,076 | Public | 1.6 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 Meyers.
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.