Riverdale, California, 2015
Riverdale’s story
151 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,012 in 1960, 3,477 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2015 and 2 maps from 1924 on.
- 1875Riverdale is settled
RiverdaleCA
A town of 3,653, settled in 1875.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,653
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$346K
+4.4% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
25.5
years
Jobs based here
605
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#557 of 841 in CA
Is Riverdale a good place to live?
Riverdale grades D overall, 557th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. Riverdale’s midsummer high is 98°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
What makes Riverdale stand out
Where Riverdale beats most towns.
A growing town
Riverdale has grown 10% from 2010 to 2020
3,153 counted in 2010 and 3,477 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Riverdale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Riverdale is from typical.
HealthAdventist Health Hanford 16.6 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 1.8% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →Hazard riskdrought tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income$57K median household income; 605 jobs based hereCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 25.5; 5% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Riverdale: who provides what
Riverdale is unincorporated, so Fresno County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRiverdale Public Utility DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesFresno CountyFresno County provides services here
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 hereFresno County Clerk, Registrar of VotersFresno County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9365693656 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 Riverdale.
Riverdale has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has household incomes well below the California norm.
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Riverdale is worth about $346K, on Zillow’s estimate
Home values are up 4.4% over the year to September 2026. The going rate for rent for Riverdale comes to $1,126 a month. In Riverdale, 57% of households are owner-occupiers.
$346KZillow home value
| Riverdale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,126 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Riverdale$346K
California$762K
+4.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB
Riverdale’s schools rank ahead of 56% of California districts
Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The largest public high school is Riverdale High, with 496 students. The Riverdale Joint Unified school district runs its public schools.
56%of CA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverdale ElementaryLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 507 | C+ |
| Riverdale HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 496 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Riverdale’s grade for health is a D
Riverdale: 15% of adults binge drink. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Riverdale is ahead of California on 1 and behind on 17. Two figures for adults in the town: 32% worry about having enough food, 67% had a checkup this year.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Riverdale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 9% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Riverdale | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 22.9% | 10.6% |
Adventist Health Hanford
16.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
9th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Riverdale work out of town
Riverdale’s average trip to work is 23 minutes. For most workers, Riverdale is a place to come home to: only 12% work in town. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. The top destinations are Fresno (14%), Hanford (4%) and Visalia (3%).
12%work in town
| Riverdale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Riverdale12%
Fresno14%
Hanford4%
Visalia3%
Lemoore3%
21 mi
median commute distance
605
jobs based in Riverdale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Top of a high hazard risk in Riverdale: drought
For Riverdale, the FEMA risk score is 68 of 100. One declared disaster, in 2020, has brought federal aid to Riverdale households. FEMA puts two thirds of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 23% to earthquakes.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtEarthquakesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Riverdale, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Hanford 1 S weather station, 15 miles away, records that about 108 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 98.2°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.1°.
It almost never snows. For Riverdale, the January low is 38°F.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–58°
Spring49–76°
Summer63–96°
Fall51–80°
Nov 22
typical first frost
Feb 24
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
0% of Riverdale is conserved land
0.9 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. The density of trails in Riverdale is 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: one, of 11 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,505 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverdale Rodeo | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Riverdale
17pages on Riverdale
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Riverdale
About 5 of every 100 Riverdale residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Riverdale for work
Where Riverdale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
605jobs based in Riverdale
12%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Riverdale
Census-designated place in California, United States
Riverdale (formerly, Liberty Settlement) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. Its population was 3,477 at the 2020 census, up from 3,153 at the 2010 census. Riverdale is located 23 miles (37 km) south of Fresno, at an elevation of 223 ft (68 m) above mean sea level.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 223 ft
- ZIP code
- 93656
- Area code
- 559
Questions about Riverdale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Riverdale, CA a good place to live?
Riverdale grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #557 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Riverdale, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($74,468 across the Fresno, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.