11 Best Places To Retire In California's Sierra Nevada
Retirement is a time for rest and relaxation after decades of hard work. To most, this conjures up thoughts of palm trees, sunshine, and close access to the beach. However, some people envision a different retirement look. That's where California's Sierra Nevada area comes into play. Exploration, getting back to nature, and scenic mountain overlooks are the perfect escape for the golden years of a growing number in the retirement population. From popular tourist towns like South Lake Tahoe to smaller gateway towns to Yosemite National Park, like Pine Mountain Lake, this area is gaining popularity for retirees.
Besides the unique topography, there is so much more that future retirees will find in California's Sierra Nevada area. Although the cost of living is higher than in many other locations across the country, there are still smaller, cheaper towns to relocate to. Also, the promise of an area that focuses on outdoor health, access to world-class healthcare in tourist locations, and even seasonal part-time work for extra income, are some of the benefits you'll see in these California Sierra Nevada towns.
Truckee
Lying between Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe National Forest is the unincorporated town of Truckee. It boasts a population of around 16,000 people, 16% being of retirement age or older. When it comes to healthcare, the Tahoe Forest Hospital serves Truckee retirees, as well as the surrounding area..
As you'll notice with many of the locations on this list, the outdoor activities are endless. Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe are within 15 miles of Truckee, as are world-class skiing spots, hiking trails, and unique downtown artisan spots. Downtown Truckee has some of the best shopping options in the Sierra Nevada, including the well-known Truckee Certified Farmers Market, which is open every Tuesday from May through October.
South Lake Tahoe
If resort towns are your kind of energy, then you can't miss living in one of the most famous spots in the western half of the United States. South Lake Tahoe sits just like it sounds, at the southern tip of Lake Tahoe. While this unincorporated community has 21,000 people, it is a world-class resort town that provides energy, money, and new faces at every corner.
Retirees will enjoy wellness day spas, art galleries at Heavenly Village, the world-class Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series, and more shopping options than almost any Sierra Nevada town. Numerous retirement communities in the area offer options as you age. Tahoe Senior Plaza is one of the best options, offering low-cost housing with amenities such as a community room, recreation room, emergency call system, and more.
Auburn
Located on the western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Auburn, a town of almost 14,000 residents, is an old gold rush town. Auburn has a strong transportation infrastructure, including an Amtrak passenger rail service and Interstate 80 connecting east to west. Auburn has one of the cheapest housing markets in the area, with the median listing price at $624,000, far below the state average of $790,000. Moreover, the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital is available 24/7 for medical requirements.
Auburn boasts a strong arts and culture scene. It has a literature and film history from the novel "Of Mice and Men" as well as movies like "The Ugly Truth" and "Phantom". Take a walk through the city and enjoy colossal sculptures throughout the town. The town has a gold rush history to explore at the Gold Rush Museum or take in artifacts and furnishings at the Bernhard Museum Complex.
Grass Valley
If you travel north of Auburn, you'll discover another old gold rush town in the Sierra Nevada foothills: Grass Valley. This town of around 14,000 people is known as a bedroom community of Sacramento. It has a robust retirement community, with 30% of the population being of retirement age. Regarding healthcare, Grass Valley has the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital nearby.
Grass Valley is close to the Nevada County Campus of Sierra College, where some courses are available to the public for extended learning. Take advantage of professional guides like Drift on the Fly, which offers fly fishing expeditions, or take in a concert at the Center for the Arts, a renovated auto dealership now hosting concerts for nationally recognized bands.
Mammoth Lakes
Known for Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain ski areas, Mammoth Lakes is a great option for active retirees. It's located on the eastern side of Sierra Nevada, which has a smaller population of under 8,000 people. This is a nature lover's paradise, as it boasts natural hot springs to bathe in and is just a half hour away from the Yosemite National Park entrance.
Mammoth is a big tourism community that pairs with all the outdoor activities it offers, with plenty of rental units for retirees ' families to visit. Even with its endless scenery, Mammoth Lakes has a median home price of $750,000, which is much less than some other tourist hot spots in the area. Apart from housing, the town is well connected with a scheduled passenger airline service seasonally via the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in nearby Bishop. Flights connect to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver.
Sonora
Looking for a more relaxing pace? Sonora has only 5,000 year-round residents, with about 15% being retirement age. While technically being known as a tourist town, thanks to its proximity to Yosemite, it's much quieter than the resort towns of South Lake Tahoe or Mammoth Lakes. There are numerous options for art and history to enjoy. Sonora is home to local museums, like the Tuolumne County Museum, which depicts the Gold Rush era, and a professional theatre company, Sierra Repertory Theatre, where you can take in local shows throughout the year. Seniors looking to buy a home are in luck as Sonora has an affordable average home value of around $410,000.
Placerville
Placerville is a town of around 10,000 residents located under an hour east of Sacramento, the California State Capital. It is known for its history, and several locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including the John Pearson Soda Works and Combellack-Blair House, which was built in 1895, are located there. Also, if you're a wine aficionado, Placerville is known for some of the best wineries in the area.
Because of its proximity to Sacramento, healthcare options are superior to some of the other Sierra Nevada towns on this list as well. There are even in-town healthcare facilities like the Marshall Hospital or The Pines at Placerville Healthcare Center, which include nursing home options. Moreover, the town boasts a reasonable median home value of approximately $530,000.
Angels Camp
One of the more unique names on this list, Angels Camp is an incorporated city in Calaveras County with a little over 3,000 residents. Although it's smaller than most towns, it has two busy highways traveling through it, with Highways 4 and 49. Nicknamed "Frog Town,” famed author Mark Twain wrote "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" about the Angels Hotel in 1865. It's so well known that the town has a yearly festival with the Jumping Frog Jubilee each May.
Numerous healthcare facilities for retirees exist, including Angels Camp Family Medical Center and Angels Camp Rapid Care. The Calaveras County Library and several nearby community colleges offer entertaining classes. The average home value here is around $440,000, a steal compared to state and national medians.
Nevada City
Nevada City is a community that is neighboring one of the other towns on this list, Grass Valley. Located just northeast of Highway 49, this small town has a population of slightly over 3,000 people. Art and culture are popular in this small Sierra Nevada town, as it was the setting for the 2006 Hallmark movie, "The Christmas Card". It also has live music, theater, and dance at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center and Nevada Theatre, as well as historic museums to visit, like the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad & Transportation Museum.
In terms of healthcare, the close access to Grass Valley and the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital is a plus for retirees, or you can focus on your mental health at the Expanding Light Retreat, a popular yoga and meditation retreat in Northern California. Lastly, the median home value is $550,000, far below the state average of $790,000.
Pine Mountain Lake
Known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", Pine Mountain Lake is a private gated community in Groveland, California. PML is an all-seasons vacation and retirement community with an 18-hole championship golf course, a lake lodge, shopping, and proximity to medical services. Being only 26 miles west of Yosemite National Park on Highway 120, you'll have easy access to one of the most memorable parks in the world.
When it comes to safety, the community has its own Department of Safety with a main gate on-site and accessible 24 hours a day. The Groveland Pharmacy is conveniently nearby, as are the Adventist Health Sonora and Dignity Health-Community Hospital of San Bernardino.
Three Rivers
The most southern listed on this list is Three Rivers, located just west of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. With just over 2,000 residents, this small town is perfect for any retiree looking for quiet, small-town living and majestic scenery. If you've ever dreamt of living next to giant Sequoia trees, this is the perfect fit, as you'll see some of the largest living things on earth. Tharp's Log is an unusual site, as you'll find a 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.
Three Rivers' median listing home price is around $680,000, well below California's average of $790,000. While there are bigger options nearby, in-town healthcare is available at the Family HealthCare Network, which is open five days a week.
Finishing Thoughts
As you can see, California's Sierra Nevada region is one of the most unique and memorable landscapes in the world. It's easy to see why more of the retirement community is looking to make these towns their future home. With an emphasis on taking advantage of the natural beauty all around these towns, there is an emphasis on outdoor living and exercise that will keep any retiree feeling young. While the area isn't among the cheapest options in the country, there are still affordable smaller towns in the area, as well as more extravagant resort towns like South Lake Tahoe. No matter where you choose, there will be plenty to do and see for your next mountain retirement oasis.
