Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Coalinga grades D overall, ranked 684th of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $75K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 80% of U.S. towns. 36% of working residents work locally in Coalinga, against 6.6% in California’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 77 of California’s 1,058 towns score higher on cost of living. Coalinga is home to Coalinga College.
Where Coalinga beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Coalinga College | 2,195 |
13,380 counted in 2010 and 17,590 in 2020; an estimated 17,281 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 2.2%, after 31.5% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Coalinga is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
![Colinga [sic], California](https://images.townratings.com/story/1400/73249ec3989579816844-l.jpg)
Census counts: 4,199 in 1910, a low of 2,851 in 1930, 17,590 in 2020. The archive holds 20 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Coalinga, 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 Coalinga.
Coalinga has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of California, but it has poverty well above the California rate.
The median property tax bill is $2,308, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Coalinga home is worth about $298,000, up 3.8% in a year, 61% below the California typical home. Coalinga’s median rent is $1,093 a month.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,093 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Coalinga-Huron Unified school district. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Coalinga High, with 1,256 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coalinga MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 662 | – |
| Coalinga HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,256 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
42% of Coalinga adults have obesity. Coalinga beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 31% of Coalinga adults have high blood pressure.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Coalinga | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.1% | 35.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.5% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The violent crime rate in Coalinga is 5.3 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 60% of towns. The property crime rate in Coalinga is 3.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Coalinga weather station records that about 131 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 97.6°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 37.4°.
Coalinga has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 5,325 working residents takes 20.9 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
About one in 3 of Coalinga’s working residents works in town. 6.8% of workers work from home in Coalinga. Jobs based in Coalinga grew to 5,493 in 2023, 575 more than in 2013.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Coalinga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. William Keck Memorial Park | 0.6 mi | 17 |
| 2. Olsen Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Coalinga
About 9 of every 100 Coalinga residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
14 notable people were born in Coalinga.
City in California, United States
Coalinga ( or ) is a city in the Pleasant Valley in Fresno County and the western San Joaquin Valley, in central California about 80 miles (128 km) southeast of Salinas. It was formerly known as Coaling Station A, Coalingo, and Coalinga Station. The population was 17,590 as of the 2020 census, up from 13,380 at the 2010 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Coalinga grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #684 of 841 in California. It grades D for health, C for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Within California, it does better than 60% of towns.
That is 4 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 C+.
14 notable people were born here, including Jo Stafford and Hal Finney.
