Monument to 1928 Elliott No 1, 2011
Avenal’s story
97 years in pictures
Census counts: 3,982 in 1950, 13,696 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1930 on.
- 1929Avenal is settled
Photo: Armona · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
13,479
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$248K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
32.5
years
Jobs based here
2,828
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#673 of 841 in CA
Is Avenal a good place to live?
Avenal grades D overall, 673rd among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $55K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns. Avenal’s July high is 98°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Only 76 of California’s 1,058 towns score higher on cost of living. Avenal's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns.
A shrinking town
Avenal has shrunk 13% since 2010
15,505 counted in 2010 and 13,696 in 2020; an estimated 13,479 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Avenal grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Avenal is from typical.
HealthCoalinga Regional Medical Center 15 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeD−Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →SchoolsCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.9 of 20; 6.3% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.5; 3% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Avenal: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Avenal, and how to reach them.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Avenal water system4 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers67% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCounty of Kings ElectionsKings County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9320493204 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Avenal.
Avenal fares better on crime within California than nationally, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Fresno and other neighbors.
HousingCost of living grade C+
Avenal’s typical home value is about $248K
The median property tax bill is $1,532, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Avenal home is worth about $248,000, down 0.8% in a year, 67% below the California typical home. 46% of Avenal households own their home.
$248KZillow home value
| Avenal | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,015 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Avenal$248K
California$762K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Avenal’s schools rank behind 72% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Reef-Sunset Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Avenal High, with 762 students.
28%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avenal ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 654 | D− |
| Avenal HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 762 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsC
Avenal has set aside 0.1% of its land for conservation
41 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Avenal’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile.
#148for trails in CA
| Avenal | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.1%
conserved · 12 of 12,417 acres
41 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Floyd Rice Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthD−
Fewer of Avenal’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical California or U.S. town
63% of adults had a checkup this year in Avenal. Avenal beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 30% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Avenal.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Avenal | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 16% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
2 better8 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Avenal | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.5% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 17.8% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 29.9% | 10.6% |
Coalinga Regional Medical Center
15 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
2nd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Avenal faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesHeat wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Avenal
The Coalinga weather station, 15 miles away, records that about 131 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 98.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.5°.
Avenal has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The January low in Avenal is 40°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–59°
Spring50–75°
Summer65–96°
Fall54–79°
Nov 29
typical first frost
Feb 19
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
About one in eight working residents works right in Avenal
Avenal has about as many jobs (2,828) as working residents, but only 439 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 36.4 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most working residents leave Avenal for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Avenal grew to 2,828 in 2023, 936 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Fresno (9%), Coalinga (4%) and Visalia (3%).
13%work in town
| Avenal | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Avenal13%
Fresno9%
Coalinga4%
Visalia3%
Lemoore3%
50 mi
median commute distance
2,828
jobs based in Avenal
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB−
Avenal stands out in California and nationally, with property crime lower than most
At 17.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 81% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 133 to 36 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Only 1 of the 437 California towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Avenal. Avenal reports less crime per resident than 51% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
51%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Avenal | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Avenal2
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Avenal0.5
California18.2
U.S.15.5
51st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
81st
percentile among CA towns
29
violent crimes reported in 2025
7
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Avenal
20pages on Avenal
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 72% of CA districts · 7 schoolsSafetyB−2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than CA on 2 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$248K typical home · down 0.8% in a yearWork & commuteD−$55K median household income · 2,828 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Avenal; the nearest are
Coalinga CollegeCommunity college · Public · Coalinga15.7 mi$1,384 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-FresnoUniversity or college · Public · Fresno57.7 mi$7,350 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Avenal residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Avenal
City in California, United States
Avenal (Spanish for "Oat field") is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Avenal is located 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 807 ft (246 m). It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County. In area, it is the fourth-largest city in Kings County. As of the 2020 census, Avenal had a population of 13,696, which includes inmates at the Avenal State Prison, the first prison actively solicited by a community in the state of California. Many of the remaining residents largely either work at the prison or in the agriculture industry. The prison provides approximately 1,000 jobs to residents. The Calif…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1979
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 807 ft
- ZIP code
- 93204
- Area code
- 559
Questions about Avenal
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Avenal, CA a good place to live?
Avenal grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #673 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health, B− for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Avenal, CA expensive?
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($70,995 across the Hanford-Corcoran, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.