A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Avalon$5,440/mo

Typical home $927K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $2,006/mo · Housing →

Sonora$2,350/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,238/mo · Housing →

The difference: $3,090 a month, about $37,000 a year, between Avalon and Sonora.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Avalon places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−AvalonSafer than 22% of U.S. towns DSonoraSafer than 7% of U.S. towns

Schools

BAvalonBetter than 60% of districts in the state B−SonoraBetter than 53% of districts in the state

Health

B−AvalonHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns C+SonoraHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns

11Avalon

10Sonora

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#830 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #819#288 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #7#481 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #661#230 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #629#223 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #469#105 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #568#241 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #388#207

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Avalon’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AvalonSonora

Snow a year—0″

January low—33°F

July high—93°F

Growing season (days)—213d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th 75th

Outdoors & history

AvalonSonora

Trails9 mi 3 mi

Conserved land3.2%1.7%

Settled1913 1850

National Register places4 7

Archive photos18 —

Famous people born here2 24

Community

AvalonSonora

Library hours a week40 hrs 52 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

341 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AvalonCA SonoraCA

Avalon ↔ Sonora341 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

AvalonSonora

People

Population 3,338Lowest 4,919Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -7.2%Lowest CA: +6.1% +2%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 41.9±10.4Lowest 11% above CA 42.1±5.8Highest 11% above CA

Sonora and Avalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.9%±8.4Lowest CA: 22% 20.6%±5.6Highest CA: 22%

Sonora and Avalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 24%±9.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 24.2%±5.4Highest CA: 15.7%

Sonora and Avalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.8%Lowest CA: 37.1% 33.2%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±5.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 4.8%±2.2Highest CA: 7.6%

Sonora and Avalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $105,139±$27kHighest 6% above CA $82,690±$25kLowest 17% below CA

Avalon and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $936,000±$101kHighest 27% above CA $422,300±$33kLowest 43% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,006±$336Highest about the CA average $1,238±$182Lowest 39% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $7,039Highest 37% above CA $3,016Lowest 41% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 58.6%±24Highest CA: 55.3% 57.8%±12.9Lowest CA: 55.3%

Avalon and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 11.5%Lowest CA: 12% 16.9%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 51.4%Highest CA: 55.9% 42.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1946Lowest 30 yrs older than CA 1969Highest 7 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 60% below CA 29 minHighest about the CA average

Work from home 9.3%±12Lowest CA: 17.2% 10.4%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2%

Sonora and Avalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 40.6%Highest 16.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.8 miLowest 42.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.14Lowest 1.63Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (12%)East Sonora (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SonoraFew work in Avalon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Highest 1.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 9.0 miHighest 3.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 1.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 9.1Lowest 91.5Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #388 of 574 in CA #207 of 574 in CA

School district —Sonora Elementary · Sonora Union High

High school in town —Sonora High

Students per teacherat that high school — 23.0

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Avalon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Avalon’s Town Square.

Sonora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonora’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Avalon

+ Compare

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Sutter Creek2,702 people · $544K homes

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Buellton5,074 people · $837K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Avalon vs Sonora

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $3,090 more a month in Avalon

Avalon places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

341 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Avalon and Sonora

Towns like Avalon

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