Penn Valley, CA · standard
ZIP Code 95946
Nevada County, California - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 9,790
- 90/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $84,795
- Median income Above-median income area
- $565,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 39.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Penn Valley pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 32%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 11%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 90
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 95946 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 95946 (Penn Valley, CA) rose +3.9% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 218.5 in 2023 to 226.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 95946 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Penn Valley, Nevada County, California, home to 9,790 residents across 108.4 square miles, a density of 90 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 95946 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $84,795 (17% below the average California ZIP), while per-capita income is $47,168. The poverty rate is 9.1%, with unemployment at 2.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $565,700 (27% below the average California ZIP), and median rent is $2,221; owner occupancy is 84.7%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 39.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57, and the average commute is 35 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Nevada County, so 95946 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 95946
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Penn Valley, CA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 95946.
- Construction
Construction
29 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
22 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
19 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
15 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
12 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 95946, Penn Valley, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
9,790
Population
108.4
Area (sq mi)
90
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 95946?
57.0
Median Age
49.2%
Male
50.8%
Female
3.1%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$84,795
Median Household Income
-17% vs state ZIP avg
$47,168
Per Capita Income
9.1%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
35.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 95946 ranks among California ZIPs
Penn Valley, CA household income vs. every California ZIP code
Median household income among 1,583 reporting California ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$84,795 41st percentile higher than 41% of 1,583 California ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more California ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
4,504housing units
4,504
Total Housing Units
4,093
Occupied Units
411
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$565,700
Median Home Value
-27% vs state ZIP avg
$2,221
Median Rent
1982
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.9%
YoY Change (2024)
227
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+127%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 95946 have increased 3.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +127% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.2% | 183 |
| 2021 | +12.6% | 206 |
| 2022 | +9.3% | 225 |
| 2023 | -2.8% | 218 |
| 2024 | +3.9% | 227 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 141 business establishments in ZIP 95946, employing approximately 821 people with a combined annual payroll of $35,268,000.
141
Businesses
821
Employees
$35.3M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 29 | 20.6% |
| Retail trade | 22 | 15.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 19 | 13.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 15 | 10.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 12 | 8.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 11 | 7.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 8 | 5.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 6 | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 2.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 2.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3 | 2.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 2.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 95946 vs 95975 →
ZIP 95946 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 95949
Grass Valley (95949)
19,741 residents
- 95946
Penn Valley (95946)
9,790 residents
- 95918 2,339
Browns Valley (95918)
2,339 residents
- 95975 1,769
Rough And Ready (95975)
1,769 residents
- 95977 1,678
Smartsville (95977)
1,678 residents
- 95962 1,567
Oregon House (95962)
1,567 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 95946 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 95946 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 95977
Smartsville (95977)
$104,545 median income
- 95975
Rough And Ready (95975)
$103,216 median income
- 95949
Grass Valley (95949)
$98,181 median income
- 95946
Penn Valley (95946)
$84,795 median income
- 95962
Oregon House (95962)
$77,903 median income
- 95918
Browns Valley (95918)
$56,750 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 95946 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 95946, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (9,790 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Nevada County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 95946 in?
ZIP code 95946 (Penn Valley) is located in Nevada County, California. Nevada County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/nevada-ca.
What is the population of ZIP code 95946?
ZIP code 95946 in Penn Valley, CA has a population of 9,790 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 95946?
The median household income in ZIP 95946 is $84,795, which is 11% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 95946?
The median home value in ZIP 95946 is $565,700, which is 103% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 95946?
The largest racial group in ZIP 95946 is White at 79.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 14.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 95946?
ZIP code 95946 has 141 business establishments employing approximately 821 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 95946?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 95946 are: Construction (29), Retail trade (22), Professional, scientific, and technical services (19). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 95946?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 95946 increased by 3.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 127%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 95946?
In ZIP code 95946, 62.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 39.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 95946?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 95946 is 35.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 95946?
In ZIP code 95946, approximately 84.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 95946?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 95946 is 9.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 95946's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 95946 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Penn Valley, CA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.