Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Greenfield grades D− overall, 750th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of schools and health. Its schools rank behind 81% of the state's. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 80% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns. 36% of residents are under 18 in Greenfield, above both California’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Greenfield's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. The typical home is worth about $549K, 5.6 years of the Salinas metro’s $97K median household income.
Where Greenfield beats most towns.
16,330 counted in 2010 and 18,937 in 2020; an estimated 21,138 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 11.5% since 2020, after 16% 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 Greenfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,309 in 1950, 18,937 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Greenfield, 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 Greenfield.
Its public schools are run by the Greenfield Union Elementary school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Greenfield High, with 1,274 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Verde MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 727 | – |
| Greenfield HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,274 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
35% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Greenfield. Greenfield beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 38% of adults worry about having enough food in Greenfield.
| Greenfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Greenfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.4% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 16.3% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 28.1% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 34.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 64% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 345 to 280 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Greenfield is 5.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Greenfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Greenfield for work: only 15% work in town. Greenfield’s average trip to work is 24 minutes. Since 2013, Greenfield has added 261 jobs, to 3,186 in 2023.
| Greenfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
55% of Greenfield households own their home. The typical Greenfield home is worth about $549,000, up 0.8% in a year, 28% below the California typical home.
| Greenfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,724 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Greenfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Patriot Park | 0.4 mi | 18 |
| 2. Park Greenfield | 0.4 mi | 3 |
| 3. Jim Maggini Memorial Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Greenfield has mild winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Greenfield; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Greenfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Greenfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
Greenfield is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Formerly Clarke Colony, it lies in the Salinas Valley, 3 miles (5km) east of Carmel Valley road , and 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 289 feet (88 m). As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,937, up from 16,330 in the 2010 census. Its most well-known public event is the annual harvest festival. Greenfield is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Greenfield grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #750 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C− for schools. Hazard risk 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.