Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Riverbank grades C− overall, 508th of 841 graded towns in California, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $480K, 5.9 years of the Modesto metro’s $81K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 67% of the country. Only 42 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. Riverbank's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. Riverbank Branch Library is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Riverbank beats most towns.
Where Riverbank’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Riverbank is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 803 in 1930, 24,865 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 7 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Riverbank, 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 Riverbank.
Riverbank carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly inland flooding) and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
At $1,604 a month, Riverbank’s median rent is where California’s towns sit at $1,898 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. The typical Riverbank home is worth about $481,000, up 0.6% in a year, 37% below the California typical home.
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,604 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Riverbank Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Riverbank High, with 744 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossroads ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 752 | – |
| Riverbank HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 744 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here grew from 2,639 in 2013 to 3,919.
Most working residents leave Riverbank for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Riverbank grew to 3,919 in 2023, 1,280 more than in 2013. At 30 minutes, Riverbank’s average trip to work is above both California’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,156 U.S. towns with household incomes like Riverbank’s, it is less healthy than 82%, so it trails even them.
70% of Riverbank adults had a checkup this year. Riverbank beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 15% of Riverbank adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Riverbank | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 14.7% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 94.8°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.2°.
Riverbank has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Riverbank is 95°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 471 to 412 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Riverbank’s violent crime rate is 1.2 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 73% of towns. Riverbank’s property crime rate is 14.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of California towns, with expected losses of about $174 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Riverbank since 2006.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Riverbank | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Castleburg Park | 0.7 mi | 13 |
| 2. Silva Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Zerillo Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Riverbank
About 7 of every 100 Riverbank residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
City in California, United States
Riverbank is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 24,865 at the 2020 census, up from 22,678 at the 2010 census. Incorporated on August 23, 1922, Riverbank's official slogan is "City of Action." It is part of the Modesto metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Riverbank grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #508 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Within California, it does better than 73% of towns.
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.