West ModestoCA
5,978 people live in this town in California.
Is West Modesto a good place to live?
West Modesto’s weakest is health: residents are less healthy than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Overall, West Modesto earns a D−, better than 3% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 762nd of 841 in California. It lags on hazard risk as well (D−) — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. A typical home there costs about $305K, 3.7 years of the Modesto metro’s $81K median household income. Walkability is its strong suit (B+): it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns. West Modesto's schools rank behind 75% of the state's.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results.
99% of working residents leave West Modesto for work
Where West Modesto’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How West Modesto grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far West Modesto is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to West Modesto: who provides what
West Modesto is unincorporated, so Stanislaus County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 West Modesto.
West Modesto has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Modesto and beyond and has property taxes about half the California norm.
For health, West Modesto earns a D
The share of adults in West Modesto who have diabetes: 14%. Among adults 18 to 64 here, 21% have no health insurance, above both the California town median (9%) and the median of U.S. towns (8.1%). 38% of adults in West Modesto get no exercise outside work; 31% worry about having enough food. This California town does better than the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 20.
| West Modesto | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | West Modesto | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Very high risk in West Modesto, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA puts 72% of West Modesto’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 23% to earthquakes.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most of West Modesto’s workers leave town for work
West Modesto has 350 jobs for its 2,043 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
West Modesto’s median household income stands at $61,000, where California’s towns sit at $95,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. For most workers, West Modesto is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in West Modesto grew to 350 in 2023, 114 more than in 2013. The average commute here is 31 minutes.
| West Modesto | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expect mild winters and hot summers in West Modesto
July afternoons average 94.6°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.1°.
For West Modesto, the typical July afternoon high is 95°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| West Modesto | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conserved land covers 2.7% of West Modesto
2 parks and preserves cover 19 acres in West Modesto.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bellenita Park | — | 18 |
| 2. Paradise Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in West Modesto sells for about $375K at the median
The median property tax bill is $1,709, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
56% of West Modesto households live in a home they own. The town’s going rate for rent is $1,432 a month.
| West Modesto | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,432 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about West Modesto
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of West Modesto
About 5 of every 100 West Modesto residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About West Modesto
Place in California, United States
West Modesto is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 5,965 at the 2020 census, up from 5,682 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
West Modesto’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with West Modesto.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Modesto | #762 | D− | C | — | C | D |
| Modesto | #708 | D− | D | D | C | C |
| Riverdale Park | — | — | D | — | C | D |
Riverdale Park has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. West Modesto and Riverdale Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare West Modesto with a neighbor →
Questions about West Modesto
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Modesto, CA a good place to live?
West Modesto grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #762 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is West Modesto, CA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $305,000, 60% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.