Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Chowchilla grades D− overall, ranked 826th of 841 in California, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $67K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. Chowchilla’s July high is 96°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). On hazard risk, just 100 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. Chowchilla's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Chowchilla is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 847 in 1930, 19,039 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1918 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chowchilla, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Chowchilla.
Chowchilla carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly earthquakes), has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Fresno and other neighbors.
33% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Chowchilla. Chowchilla beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 22% of adults report frequent mental distress in Chowchilla.
| Chowchilla | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Chowchilla | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.9% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Chowchilla Elementary school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Chowchilla Union High, with 1,017 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merle L. Fuller ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 508 | – |
| Chowchilla Union HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,017 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The typical Chowchilla home is worth about $387,000, up 1.3% in a year, 49% below the California typical home. Chowchilla’s median rent is $1,178 a month.
| Chowchilla | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,178 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 311 to 200 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Chowchilla is 3.7 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 46% of towns. The property crime rate in Chowchilla is 6.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Chowchilla | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
8.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Madera County Fairgrounds, at 44 acres.
| Chowchilla | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sports Leisure Park | 0.3 mi | 24 |
| 2. Madera County Fairgrounds | — | 44 |
| 3. R C Wisener Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Madera weather station, 16 miles away, records that about 100 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 96.2°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.5°.
Chowchilla has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Chowchilla has about as many jobs (5,614) as working residents, but only 1,160 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Chowchilla’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Chowchilla grew to 5,614 in 2023, 1,102 more than in 2013. 8.3% of Chowchilla workers work from home.
| Chowchilla | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 91% of California towns, with expected losses of about $182 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Chowchilla; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Chowchilla residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
City in California, United States
Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. The city's population was 19,039 at the 2020 census. Chowchilla is located 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 240 feet (73 m). The city is the location of two prisons: Central California Women's Facility and Valley State Prison.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Chowchilla.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chowchilla | #826 | D− | D | C | C− | D |
| Fairmead | — | — | B− | — | C− | D− |
Fairmead has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fairmead reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Chowchilla with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Chowchilla grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #826 of 841 in California. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Within California, it does better than 46% of towns.
Yes. That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($74,468 across the Fresno, 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 D.
2 notable people were born here, including Ronald D. Moore and James Curry.