Water tower in, 2016
Ripon’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,550 in 1950, 16,013 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and a map from 1989 on.
- 1874Ripon is settled
Photo: Tommaso Trentani · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
16,140
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$674K
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$133K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
4,594
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#89 of 841 in CA
Is Ripon a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Ripon grades B+ overall, ranked 89th of 841 in California. The median household earns $133K and its schools outperform 85% of the state's. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $674K for a typical one and 7.3 times the Stockton metro’s $92K median household income. Ripon’s concentration of trails is 1.9 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Mistlin Park, at 69 acres.
What makes Ripon stand out
Where Ripon beats most towns.
A growing town
Ripon has grown 13% since 2010
14,297 counted in 2010 and 16,013 in 2020; an estimated 16,140 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 12% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Ripon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Ripon is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listCOpen →HealthDoctors Hospital of Manteca 5.5 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.8 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SafetyBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10% conserved landAOpen →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life4.8 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 market$674K typical home, up 0.3% in a year; 15 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.1–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ripon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ripon, and how to reach them.
PowerLathrop Irrigation DistrictEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Ripon water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site
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 hereSan Joaquin Registrar of VotersSan Joaquin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2020
ZIP code9536695366 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 Ripon.
Ripon fares better on crime within California than nationally, has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
OutdoorsA
Conservation land takes up 9.7% of Ripon
In 8 parks and preserves, walkers have 11 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Ripon: 8, covering 111 acres.
#167for trails in CA
9.7%
conserved · 343 of 3,526 acres
11 mi
of trails · 1.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mistlin Park | — | 69 |
| 2. Mavis Stouffer Park | — | 10 |
| 3. South Highland | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
Ripon earns an A for schools
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $674K.
The Ripon Unified school district runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Ripon High, with 1,051 students. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
85%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripona ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 473 | C+ |
| Ripon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,051 | A− |
| Park View ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 467 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most of Ripon’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here grew from 3,125 in 2013 to 4,594.
Ripon had 4,594 jobs in 2023, up 1,469 from 2013. For most workers, Ripon is a place to come home to: only 11% work in town. The middle household income for Ripon comes to $133,000, where California’s towns sit at $95,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Among residents locally, 5.4% live below the poverty line.
11%work in town
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $133,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ripon11%
Modesto11%
Stockton6%
Manteca5%
San Jose3%
20 mi
median commute distance
4,594
jobs based in Ripon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Ripon is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Against the 4,218 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ripon’s, it is less healthy than 72%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
In Ripon, 30% of adults have high blood pressure. Against the California average, Ripon comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
9 better21 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Ripon | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.7% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.2% | 6.4% |
Doctors Hospital of Manteca
5.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
63rd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Ripon has mild winters and hot summers
The Stockton Fire Stn 4 weather station, 20 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 305 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 94.2°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.3°.
Snow is a rarity. Its midsummer high stands at 94°F.
94°summer high
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–59°
Spring48–74°
Summer59–92°
Fall50–78°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Feb 6
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Ripon has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Ripon after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. FEMA puts 57% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 38% to inland flooding.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than California overall
For residents in Ripon, the share who are under 18 is 26%. Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (22% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
40.1median age · CA 37.9
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 16% | 18% |
RiponCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school24%
Some college29%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.2, men 37.8.
| Ripon | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.2% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.3% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
SafetyB
Less crime per resident in Ripon than in 60% of U.S. towns
At 14.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 87% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 205 to 125 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In Ripon, the level of property crime is 6.1 per 1,000 residents. The town’s rate of reported violence comes in at 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
60%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Ripon1.5
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Ripon6.1
California18.2
U.S.15.5
60th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
87th
percentile among CA towns
25
violent crimes reported in 2025
100
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade D
Ripon earns a D for cost of living
A home in Ripon typically sold within 15 days of listing. Homes locally are typically worth about $674,000, about the same as a year ago, 12% below the California typical home. The midpoint rent for Ripon comes to $1,851 a month.
$674KZillow home value
| Ripon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,851 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ripon$674K
California$762K
Market temperature
15
days on market
99.5%
sale-to-list price
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 88 attractions →Adventist Health Arena and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ripon. Close and well known come first.
17 mi Stadium & arenaAdventist Health Arena
18 mi MuseumHaggin Museum40 mi MuseumCastle Air Museum
19 mi MuseumUSS Lucid
10 mi MuseumMcHenry Mansion
10 mi TheatreGallo Center for the ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Adventist Health Arena: Christopher Bauer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Haggin Museum: Bluelight999, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Lucid: U.S. Navy photo, Public domain · McHenry Mansion: Rayana fazli at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Gallo Center for the Arts: OsotedeMonte, CC BY 3.0
_entering_USS_Windsor_(ARD-22)_at_Subic_Bay,_Philippines,_circa_in_1968.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ripon
20pages on Ripon
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 85% of CA districts · 9 schoolsSafetyB1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than CA on 9 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$674K typical home · up 0.3% in a yearWork & commuteA$133K median household income · 4,594 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Ripon
Modesto Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Modesto9.1 mi$1,282 in-state tuitionTeachers College of San JoaquinUniversity or college · Public · Stockton12.8 mi
About 8 of every 100 Ripon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Ripon for work
Where Ripon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,594jobs based in Ripon
11%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ripon
City in California, United States
Ripon () is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. The population was 16,013 at the 2020 census. Ripon was originally known as Stanislaus City, but was renamed for Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1876.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1945
- Area
- 5.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 69 ft
- ZIP code
- 95366
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Ripon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ripon, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Ripon grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #89 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health, B for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Ripon, 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.
What is Ripon, CA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Kim Johnston Ulrich and Patricia Rieff Anawalt.