Is Clearlake a good place to retire?
Clearlake is a Lake County city of 16,893 people estimated in 2025, with 17.1% of residents age 65 or older in the 2020-2024 Census display. Housing benchmarks are lower than many California markets, but income, insurance, transportation, healthcare, and maintenance need equal attention.
The lake, parks, and small-city scale may appeal to a retiree who wants outdoor access and a quieter setting. Wildfire, flood, drought, smoke, emergency care, and the distance to larger services make the exact home more important than a simple affordability label.
What it may cost
Start with the local estimate. Traveler and couple budgets show how the monthly total can change.
Local monthly estimate
$3,308
- Traveler estimate
- $4,462
- Couple estimate
- $4,941
- Typical 1BR rent
- $909
- Cost pressure
- Moderate
Everyday life
Family visits should be relatively easy to arrange. There is an established 50+ community.
34.9%
Residents age 50+
- Walkability
- Very Good3.4 / 5Many everyday errands may be manageable on foot.
- Median broadband
- 240 MbpsPlenty for video calls and streaming.
- Family visits
- Easy weekend visit
Clearlake, California, in focus
Choose a Clearlake home around healthcare, fire and flood exposure, and daily access
A small Lake County city needs a complete address review
Clearlake covers 10.13 square miles. Census QuickFacts reports 16,685 residents in the 2020 Census and a 2025 estimate of 16,893, with 82.1% household broadband subscription and a 25.5% poverty rate in the current display.
Those figures describe the city, not a specific neighborhood. Compare the proposed home with groceries, pharmacy, primary care, parks, transit, utilities, cellular service, and the road used for regional appointments.
A modest home price does not settle affordability
For 2020 through 2024, Census estimates place median owner value at $214,200, median gross rent at $1,240, and median selected owner costs at $1,536 with a mortgage or $505 without one. Median household income was $41,867.
Keep taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs, vehicle costs, medical care, prescriptions, smoke preparation, flood coverage where applicable, and travel to Lakeport or farther hospitals in the same budget.
Getting the care you need
The care picture looks good as a starting point. Country-level life expectancy is about 78.9 years.
1
Hospitals nearby
- Healthcare access
- Good
- Country life expectancy
- About 78.9 years
- Primary care
- Moderate
- Pharmacy access
- Good
Clearlake has local hospital access, with important limits
Adventist Health Clearlake is listed by California HCAI as a 32-bed general acute-care hospital with a standby emergency room. Sutter Lakeside Hospital in nearby Lakeport is listed as a 27-bed general acute-care hospital with a basic emergency room.
The two facilities provide local and nearby starting points, not a guarantee of every specialty, physician availability, network participation, ambulance time, or tertiary-care access. Confirm the care route, transfer plan, specialists, pharmacy, rehabilitation, and follow-up support from the proposed home.
Understanding safety
Property crime looks better; violent crime is the part to examine more closely.
Overall safety
Good
3.0 / 5
- Violent crime
- Poor
- Property crime
- Very Good
Fire, flood, drought, and smoke belong in the home decision
Clearlake Police describes a full-service agency with 38 employees, including 24 sworn officers, and a communications center staffed around the clock. Staffing information does not establish a current citywide crime rate or a neighborhood safety verdict.
The city's 2040 General Plan identifies flood and fire as major natural hazards, including lakefront and 100-year flood areas and portions of the city in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Review parcel maps, evacuation roads, insurance, defensible space, smoke, drainage, and power before choosing a home.
Living through the seasons
Both seasons look comfortable overall.
Overall climate comfort
Good2.8 / 5
Summer
86°F
Average high
42 days/year above 90°F
3.4 / 5 · Very Good
Winter
34°F
Average low
40 days/year below freezing
2.9 / 5 · Good
Air quality
Excellent
4.9 / 5
A lake setting still requires a smoke and heat plan
NOAA's station index lists Clearlake 4 SE in Lake County at about 1,349 feet. The city plan and hazard materials describe dry-season fire concerns, colder winter months, and air-quality effects during wildfire events.
A clean city-level set of current 1991-2020 normals was not established for this page. Use the nearest representative station for seasonal comparisons, then inspect cooling, shade, roof, windows, filtration, backup power, water, drainage, and indoor air during the conditions that matter to you.
Retirement fit
Clearlake, strengths and tradeoffs
Care, costs, seasons, and local character can suit some retirees better than others.
Pros
- Census benchmarks show a lower housing-cost starting point than many California markets.
- Adventist Health Clearlake and Sutter Lakeside Hospital provide local and nearby hospital options.
- Redbud Park, lake access, parks, and Lake Transit give the city practical outdoor and mobility options.
Tradeoffs
- Income, poverty, insurance, repairs, transportation, and healthcare can change the affordability picture.
- Wildfire, flood, drought, smoke, and evacuation planning are material to some addresses.
- Specialty and tertiary care may require travel outside the immediate city.
A few days in Clearlake
Spend time with ordinary parts of the city as well as its better known places.
Day 1
Map the care route
Drive from the proposed home to Adventist Health Clearlake, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, primary care, pharmacy, groceries, and the regional specialist route.
Day 2
Read the fire and flood file
Check parcel hazard maps, evacuation roads, defensible space, insurance, drainage, lake level, past water entry, smoke, and power.
Day 3
Try Lake Transit
Use the proposed address to check local Routes 10 and 11, regional connections, stop access, schedule, fare, and the return trip.
Day 4
Use the lake in real life
Visit Redbud Park or another public waterfront place and note shade, heat, smoke, surface, seating, restrooms, parking, and the route home.
Questions worth asking before you retire in Clearlake
Is Clearlake affordable for retirees?
Census benchmarks show a $214,200 median owner value and $1,240 median gross rent for 2020-2024, but income, insurance, utilities, repairs, transportation, care, and hazard coverage still need to be priced for the actual home.
Does Clearlake have a hospital?
Adventist Health Clearlake is listed as a 32-bed general acute-care hospital with a standby emergency room. Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport is listed as a 27-bed hospital with a basic emergency room. Confirm current services and referral routes.
Does Clearlake have wildfire risk?
The city plan identifies fire as a major natural hazard and places portions of the city in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Review the parcel, evacuation routes, insurance, defensible space, smoke, and power plan.
Can transit replace a car?
Lake Transit lists local Clearlake and Lower Lake Routes 10 and 11 and regional routes. Check the actual stop, schedule, final walk, weather, medical trips, and service outside the published window.
Could this place work for you?
Clearlake may suit a retiree who wants lake access and a lower-cost California setting, provided the household accepts careful hazard and healthcare planning. Choose the home around the exact evacuation, hospital, transit, insurance, smoke, and grocery routes.
Sources
These sources list the public figures used for Clearlake. Local context links describe its parks, food, culture, history, and other place specific details.
- U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Used for Estimated Monthly Budget (Traveler), Estimated Monthly Budget (Local Resident), Estimated Monthly Budget (Couple), Cost Pressure
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Typical 1BR Rent
- OpenStreetMap healthcare amenities static probe
Used for Healthcare Access
- FEMA RAPT / HIFLD Hospitals
Used for Hospitals Within 12 km
- Health Resources and Services Administration
Used for Primary Care Access
Checked 2026-07-19
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NPPES NPI Registry
Used for Pharmacy Convenience
Checked 2026-07-19
- FBI Crime Data Explorer
Used for Violent Crime Level, Property Crime Level
Checked 2024-12-31
- NOAA/NASA source-backed climate component formula
Used for Climate Comfort, Summer Heat, Winter Comfort
- Open-Meteo / Copernicus CAMS, checked against U.S. EPA AirData
Used for Air Quality
Checked 2026-06-30
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Walkability Index
Used for Walkability Estimate
Checked 2026-07-10
- U.S. Census Bureau
Used for Age 50+
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Used for Medicare-Listed Geriatric Medicine Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Cardiology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Medical Oncology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Neurology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Ophthalmology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Endocrinology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Pulmonary Disease Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Nephrology Clinicians in City, Medicare-Listed Rheumatology Clinicians in City
Checked 2026-07-13
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Partner with Retirement ListsResearch and writing byGrant Gibson
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