Madera, CA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Madera (Spanish for "lumber") is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Founded in 1876 as a timber settlement at the terminus of a major log flume, the city grew around the lumber trade before transitioning to an agriculture-based economy during the 20th century. Irrigation from the San Joaquin River and nearby canals transformed the surrounding plains into fertile farmland that now supports vineyards, nut orchards, and row crops. As of the 2020 United States census, Madera had a population of 66,224.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Madera ranks

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#120Lowest property tax in CA #149Cheapest rent in CA #152Most affordable in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code93636, 93637, 93638

Area code559

Living in Madera

Housing in Madera

$426K▲ 2.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Madera home is worth about $426,000, up 2.7% in a year, 44% below the California typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market34

Sale-to-list100.4%

Sold in May24

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Madera

C

Safety Grade C

Madera reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 72% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Madera 4.3

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Madera 10.5

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Madera

D

Health Grade D

Healthier than 11% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with California

1better than CA·21worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 10 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 6▼ 5 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 6▼ 1 close Mind 3▼ 2 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.5%Fewer adults who have had cancerCA 6.4% · better 25.7%More uninsured adultsCA 10.6% · worse

Care nearby

Madera Community HospitalMadera · 2.7 mi · ER

Camarena Health--Cleveland AvenueMadera · 0.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · part of Madera

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Madera · CMS · HRSAHealth in Madera →

Schools in Madera

All Madera schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Madera’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 68% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

See how Madera’s schools compare in CA →

DistrictMadera UnifiedSchools30

Lincoln ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 816 students Sierra Vista ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 740 students James Madison ElementaryElementary · Grades K–8 · 739 students John Adams ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 736 students Alpha ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 735 students Virginia Lee Rose ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 714 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from MaderaWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Madera.Meet them →