BowlesCA
This town of 98 people was settled in 1904.
Is Bowles a good place to live?
Bowles’ typical July afternoon high is 98°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Of the 848 California towns we compare, none has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Bowles. Bowles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Bowles stand out
Where Bowles beats most towns.
98 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Bowles: who provides what
Bowles is unincorporated, so Fresno County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Bowles.
Bowles has 10.3 jobs for every working resident, and 770 people commute in
The top destinations are Fresno (36%), Fowler (4%) and Clovis (4%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Bowles rose by 110, to 770. Half of commuters travel less than 13 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Bowles’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Pacific Union Elementary school district. Bowles’ only public school teaches 328 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Union ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 328 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
The climate in Bowles brings mild winters and hot summers
Bowles’ January low comes in at 39°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, more of Bowles’ adults have diabetes
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Bowles is ahead of California on 4 and behind on 15. Among adults locally, 42% have high blood pressure.
| Bowles | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bowles | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.3% | 15.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 71.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10% | 5.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Bowles, mostly drought
Compared with just over half of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Bowles is lower. 58% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by earthquakes at 24%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Tulare Lake and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bowles. Close and well known come first.
38 mi LakeTulare Lake
14 mi Stadium & arenaValley Children's Stadium
15 mi MuseumForestiere Underground Gardens
14 mi Stadium & arenaSave Mart Center
9 mi Stadium & arenaChukchansi Park
11 mi Zoo & aquariumFresno Chaffee ZooPhoto credits
Tulare Lake: Trace Fleeman Garcia, CC0 · Valley Children's Stadium: Emedina00, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forestiere Underground Gardens: R&sbwn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Save Mart Center: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Chukchansi Park: YAHQQLIGAN, CC BY 2.0 · Fresno Chaffee Zoo: Jim Moore, CC BY 2.0
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Everything we know about Bowles
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Bowles
About 0 of every 100 Bowles residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Every workday, about 770 people come to Bowles for work
Where Bowles’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Bowles
Place in California, United States
Bowles is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 158 at the 2020 census, down from 166 at the 2010 census. Bowles is located 11 miles (18 km) south of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 279 feet (85 m).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 279 ft
Questions about Bowles
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bowles, CA a good place to live?
Bowles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.