Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 555,549 people, Fresno can't be summed up by one letter: its D averages neighborhoods that are worlds apart. It ranks 662nd of 841 graded places in California. It is more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. What weighs on its grade: it reports more crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns, including 3,945 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and homes are expensive, about $385K for a typical one and 5.2 times the Fresno metro’s $74K median household income. 56% of working residents work locally in Fresno, above both California’s towns (6.6%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Fresno Sanitary Landfill and Forestiere Underground Gardens. Fresno's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns.
Where Fresno beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Fresno Sanitary Landfill| College | Students |
|---|---|
| California State University-Fresno | 23,033 |
| Fresno City College | 17,356 |
| Clovis Community College | 4,325 |
Fresno Sanitary Landfill is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 32 National Register listings are more than in 97% of California towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,112 in 1880, 542,107 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1923 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Fresno is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fresno, 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 Fresno.
Fresno has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings and has commutes shorter than most of California.
Reported crimes fell from 20,724 to 18,033 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Fresno’s violent crime rate is 7.1 per 1,000 residents. Fresno reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less. Fresno’s property crime rate is 25.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 25.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Fresno Unified school district. Three of its 176 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Ridge IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,167 | – |
| Sunnyside HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,858 | C+ |
| University HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 498 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
50% of households own their home in Fresno. The typical Fresno home is worth about $385,000, up 0.6% in a year, 49% below the California typical home. The median rent in Fresno is $1,421 a month.
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,421 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 58% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Fresno beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 28% of Fresno adults worry about having enough food.
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fresno | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.9% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Fresno Yosemite Intl Ap weather station records that about 113 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 98.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.3°.
Fresno has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
59 miles of trail in 75 parks and preserves. Woodward Park, at 294 acres with 6.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woodward Park | 6.9 mi | 294 |
| 2. Roeding Park | 3.3 mi | 145 |
| 3. Jensen River Ranch | 2.4 mi | 169 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 195,030 working residents takes 22.4 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Jobs based in Fresno grew to 232,942 in 2023, 42,570 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Clovis (7%), Madera (1%) and Visalia (1%).
| Fresno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 84 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fresno.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fresno. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaValley Children's Stadium
in town MuseumForestiere Underground Gardens
in town Stadium & arenaSave Mart Center
in town Stadium & arenaChukchansi Park
in town Zoo & aquariumFresno Chaffee Zooin town Theme parkRoeding ParkValley 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
8 within 15 miles of the center of Fresno
About 8 of every 100 Fresno residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
5 colleges in town.
32 places in Fresno on the National Register of Historic Places.
42 notable people were born in Fresno.
City in California, United States
Fresno ( ; Spanish for 'ash tree') is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region, as well as the most populated city in Central California. It covers about 114.7 square miles (297 km2) and had a population of 542,107 as of the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous city in California, the most populous inland city in California, and the 33rd-most populous city in the nation. Named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River, Fresno was founded in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885. It has since beco…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Fresno.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Tarpey Village (C+) is closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | #662 | D | D | D | B | C |
| Calwa | — | — | B− | — | C+ | D |
| Clovis | #242 | C+ | D− | C | A− | B+ |
| Sunnyside | #325 | C+ | D | — | C+ | B+ |
| Tarpey Village | #329 | C+ | C− | — | A− | B− |
| West Park | — | — | B | — | B− | D |
Calwa and West Park have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Calwa, Sunnyside, Tarpey Village and West Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fresno with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fresno grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #662 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, D for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
42 notable people were born here, including William Saroyan and Sam Peckinpah.
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