Hughson California Water Tower, 2016
Hughson’s story
119 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,898 in 1960, 7,481 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 6 maps from 1916 on.
- 1907Hughson is settled
HughsonCA
A town of 8,051, settled in 1907.
Photo: Ryanx7 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
8,051
2025 Census estimate · +7.7% since 2020
Typical home
$548K
+1.4% in a year
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
39.3
years
Jobs based here
1,152
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#315 of 841 in CA
Is Hughson a good place to live?
Homes are expensive, about $548K for a typical one and 6.7 times the Modesto metro’s $81K median household income. Overall it grades C+, 315th among California's 841 graded towns. It reports less crime per resident than 80% of U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 73 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. Hughson’s July high is 95°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
A growing town
Hughson has grown 21% since 2010
6,640 counted in 2010 and 7,481 in 2020; an estimated 8,051 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.7% since 2020, after 12.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Hughson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Hughson is from typical.
Cost of livingD−Open →SafetyA−Open →HealthEmanuel Medical Center 6.5 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities; earthquakes tops the listB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.6 of 20; 6.8% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Jobs & income$92K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2% conserved landCOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life3.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market10 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.3; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hughson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hughson, and how to reach them.
PowerTurlock Irrigation District17.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Hughson water system19 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offGilton Resource Recovery/Transfer Facility, Inc., 4 miOpenStreetMap
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 code9532695326 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 Hughson.
Hughson carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly earthquakes), fares better on crime within California than nationally and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
SafetyA−
Hughson’s grade for safety is an A−
At 8.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 99% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 7 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Hughson is 4.2 per 1,000 residents.
80%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Hughson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Hughson0.9
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Hughson4.2
California18.2
U.S.15.5
80th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
99th
percentile among CA towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
34
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsB
Hughson’s public schools outperform 57% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Hughson Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Hughson High, with 859 students.
57%of CA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 596 | – |
| Hughson HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 859 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Hughson has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Hughson for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Hughson grew to 1,152 in 2023, 259 more than in 2013. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Hughson.
6%work in town
| Hughson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Hughson6%
Modesto19%
Turlock10%
Ceres8%
San Jose2%
9 mi
median commute distance
1,152
jobs based in Hughson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D−
Hughson’s grade for cost of living is a D−
Hughson’s median rent is $1,748 a month. The typical Hughson home is worth about $548,000, up 1.4% in a year, 28% below the California typical home.
$548KZillow home value
| Hughson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,748 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Hughson$548K
California$762K
Market temperature
10
days on market
99.9%
sale-to-list price
+1.4%
value change, 1 year
10
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Hughson has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 95°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39°.
Hughson has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–58°
Spring48–74°
Summer60–93°
Fall50–78°
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
HealthC+
Health in Hughson trails 57% of U.S. towns
Against the 9,792 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hughson’s, it is less healthy than 74%, so it trails even them.
Hughson beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 72% of Hughson adults had a checkup this year.
43%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Hughson | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Hughson | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 35.3% | 27.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 23.8% | 20.8% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.7% | 16.4% |
Emanuel Medical Center
6.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
32nd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.6%conserved
1.6%
conserved · 19 of 1,214 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rolland Starn Park | — | 7 |
| 2. Fontana Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Earthquakes leads a moderate hazard risk in Hughson
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 92% of California towns, with expected losses of about $277 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
51risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hughson
19pages on Hughson
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 57% of CA districts · 7 schoolsSafetyA−0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than CA on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$548K typical home · up 1.4% in a yearWork & commuteB−$92K median household income · 1,152 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hughson
California State University-StanislausUniversity or college · Public · Turlock5.3 mi$8,246 in-state tuitionModesto Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Modesto8.6 mi$1,282 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Hughson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Hughson for work
Where Hughson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,152jobs based in Hughson
6%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Hughson
City in California, United States
Hughson is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,481 at the 2020 census, up from 6,640 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1907
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 125 ft
- ZIP code
- 95326
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Hughson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hughson, CA a good place to live?
Hughson grades C+ overall, better than 36% of U.S. towns and #315 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, A− for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Hughson, CA expensive?
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−.