Amtrak's San Joaquin train, 2025
Denair’s story
122 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,128 in 1970, 4,865 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 6 maps from 1916 on.
- 1904Denair is established
DenairCA
A town of 4,914, established in 1904.
Population
4,914
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$552K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$99K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
534
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#649 of 841 in CA
Is Denair a good place to live?
Denair grades D overall, 649th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of schools. Its schools rank behind 79% of the state's. One bright spot: residents are healthier than 62% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Denair’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On hazard risk, just 40 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns.
A growing town
Denair has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
4,404 counted in 2010 and 4,865 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Denair grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Denair is from typical.
Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 3% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthEmanuel Medical Center 2.5 miles awayBOpen →Jobs & income$99K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 95° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.3–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Denair: who provides what
Denair is unincorporated, so Stanislaus County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTurlock Irrigation District17.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDenair Community Services DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesStanislaus CountyStanislaus County provides services here
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 hereStanislaus County Clerk, Registrar of VotersStanislaus County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9531695316 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 Denair.
Denair carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly inland flooding), has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Turlock and beyond.
OutdoorsB
Denair has set aside 0.3% of its land for conservation
2.3 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Denair’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.
#252for trails in CA
| Denair | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.3%
conserved · 3 of 1,049 acres
2.3 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sterling Ranch Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Hunters Pointe Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Monte Vista Collection Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC−
Denair earns a C− for schools
Its public schools are run by the Denair Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Denair High, with 306 students.
21%of CA districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denair Elementary Charter AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 554 | D |
| Denair HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 306 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most working residents commute out of Denair
Denair has 534 jobs for its 2,118 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 36.8 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most working residents leave Denair for work: only 2% work in town. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Denair. Since 2013, Denair has added 98 jobs, to 534 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Denair | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Denair2%
Turlock25%
Modesto13%
Ceres5%
Stockton2%
13 mi
median commute distance
534
jobs based in Denair
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 24% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
A typical Denair home is worth about $552K
The typical Denair home is worth about $552,000, up 3.4% in a year, 28% below the California typical home. The median rent in Denair is $1,382 a month.
$552KZillow home value
| Denair | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,382 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Denair$552K
California$762K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Denair has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 95°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39°.
Denair has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
95°summer high
| Denair | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–58°
Spring48–74°
Summer61–93°
Fall51–78°
Dec 5
typical first frost
Jan 31
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Denair earns a B for health
Against the 8,766 U.S. towns with household incomes like Denair’s, it is less healthy than 55%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
19% of Denair adults binge drink. Denair beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 72% of Denair adults had a checkup this year.
62%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Denair | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
2 better27 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Denair | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14% | 17.9% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.7% | 11.7% |
| More adults with obesity | 34.1% | 27.8% |
Emanuel Medical Center
2.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
50th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Denair faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 93% of California towns, with expected losses of about $456 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 23 attractions →Castle Air Museum and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Denair. Close and well known come first.
16 mi MuseumCastle Air Museum
36 mi MuseumRailtown 1897 State Historic Park
14 mi MuseumMcHenry Mansion
14 mi TheatreGallo Center for the Arts
23 mi TheatreMerced Theatre
36 mi MuseumRailtown 1897 State Historic Park14 mi MuseumMcHenry Mansion14 mi TheatreGallo Center for the Arts23 mi TheatreMerced TheatreSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park: Ed Bierman, CC BY 2.0 · McHenry Mansion: Rayana fazli at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Gallo Center for the Arts: OsotedeMonte, CC BY 3.0 · Merced Theatre: Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Denair
17pages on Denair
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Denair
California State University-StanislausUniversity or college · Public · Turlock3 mi$8,246 in-state tuitionModesto Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Modesto14.5 mi$1,282 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Denair residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Denair for work
Where Denair’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
534jobs based in Denair
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Denair
Census-designated place in California, United States
Denair is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 4,865 at the 2020 census, up from 4,404 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 125 ft
- ZIP code
- 95316
Questions about Denair
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Denair, CA a good place to live?
Denair grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #649 of 841 in California. It grades B for health and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Denair, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 6.8 years of the area's median household income ($81,468 across the Modesto, 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−.