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%

Calistoga$7,180/mo

Typical home $1.07M (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $1,767/mo · Housing →

Jackson$2,500/mo

Typical home $435K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,429/mo · Housing →

The difference: $4,690 a month, about $56,200 a year, between Calistoga and Jackson.

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

Jackson places higher on 10 of 19 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

B−CalistogaSafer than 46% of U.S. towns CJacksonSafer than 27% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+CalistogaBetter than 68% of districts in the state C+JacksonBetter than 44% of districts in the state

Health

BCalistogaHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns B+JacksonHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns

8Calistoga

10Jackson

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #356#10 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #568#241 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #575#259 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #206#355 SafestSafety · 411 towns #112#228 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #602#777 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #340#179 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #228#85

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Calistoga’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

CalistogaJackson

Snow a year0″0″

January low39°F 40°F

July high90°F 95°F

Growing season (days)263d 332d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)100th 81st

Outdoors & history

CalistogaJackson

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.1%0.7%

Settled1868 1848

National Register places9 9

Archive photos12 12

Famous people born here3 —

Community

CalistogaJackson

Library hours a week46 hrs 40 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

99 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CalistogaCA JacksonCA

Calistoga ↔ Jackson99 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

CalistogaJackson

People

Population 5,111Highest 5,048Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.9%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 49.7±4.2Lowest 31% above CA 50.2±6.1Highest 32% above CA

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

Kids under 18 16.1%±6.5Lowest CA: 22% 16.9%±4.4Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 25.2%±5.6Lowest CA: 15.7% 38%±7.1Highest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.5%Highest CA: 37.1% 23.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±3Highest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±2.1Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,446±$30kHighest 14% below CA $70,239±$18kLowest 29% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $442,700±$49k 40% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,767±$171Highest 13% below CA $1,429±$151Lowest 30% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,029Highest 41% below CA $2,632Lowest 49% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.8%±20.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 58.7%±20.3Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 5.6%Lowest CA: 12% 10.9%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 50%Lowest CA: 55.9% 60.5%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Lowest 4 yrs newer than CA 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 16% below CA 20 minLowest 30% below CA

Work from home 7.5%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2% 2.6%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 26%Highest 11.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 39.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.90Lowest 1.11Highest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Helena (8%)Sacramento (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in JacksonFew work in Calistoga

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.6Highest 52.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#270 of 574 in CA

School district Calistoga Joint UnifiedAmador County ROP · Amador County Unified

High school in town Calistoga Junior/Senior HighArgonaut High

Students per teacherat that high school 14.8Lowest 19.1Highest

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.

Calistoga neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Calistoga’s Town Square.

Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Calistoga and Jackson

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Calistoga

+ Compare

Fort Bragg7,032 people · $535K homes

+ Compare

Mount Shasta3,182 people · $330K homes

+ Compare

Sutter Creek2,702 people · $544K homes

+ Compare

Solvang6,034 people · $950K 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.

Calistoga vs Jackson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $4,690 more a month in Calistoga

Jackson places higher on 10 of 19 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

99 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Calistoga and Jackson

Towns like Calistoga

Post to Calistoga

Check your email