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−Dos PalosSafer than 18% of U.S. towns –EmpireNot graded

Schools

CDos PalosBetter than 26% of districts in the state B−EmpireBetter than 48% of districts in the state

Health

DDos PalosHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns DEmpireHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns

10Dos Palos

7Empire

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #81#632 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #93#493 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #426#162 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #477#685 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #616#800 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #568#420 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #756#619 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #730#796

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $200 more a month in Dos Palos

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%

Dos Palos$2,070/mo

Typical home $363K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $1,125/mo · Housing →

Empire$1,870/mo

Typical home $335K (Census) · tax rate 0.40% · or rent about $1,238/mo · Housing →

The difference: $200 a month, about $2,400 a year, between Dos Palos and Empire.

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.

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

Dos PalosEmpire

Snow a year0″0″

January low39°F 42°F

July high95°F 93°F

Growing season (days)322d 351d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th 70th

Outdoors & history

Dos PalosEmpire

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land3%0.8%

Archive photos3 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

Dos PalosEmpire

Library hours a week19 hrs 30 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

48 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Dos PalosCA EmpireCA

Dos Palos ↔ Empire48 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

Dos PalosEmpire

People

Population 5,765Highest 3,429Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +17.1%Highest CA: +6.1% +0.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 37±3.8Lowest about the CA average 41.1±8.4Highest 8% above CA

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

Kids under 18 24.1%±7Highest CA: 22% 19.6%±5.7Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 21.8%±7.3Highest CA: 15.7% 16.1%±4.7Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Highest CA: 37.1% 7.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±2.9Highest CA: 7.6% 3.2%±2.3Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $42,367±$17kLowest 57% below CA $52,563±$23kHighest 47% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $299,500±$37kLowest 59% below CA $335,200±$16kHighest 54% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,125±$440Lowest 45% below CA $1,238±$264Highest 39% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,663Highest 68% below CA $1,353Lowest 74% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.1%±14.5Lowest CA: 55.3% 72.2%±54.8Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 17.6%Lowest CA: 12% 22.3%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.2%Lowest CA: 55.9% 60.8%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest same as CA 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the CA average 23 minLowest 21% below CA

Work from home 7.3%±5.5Highest CA: 17.2% 0%±1.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 19.8%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.3 miLowest 30.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Highest 0.51Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Los Banos (9%)Modesto (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EmpireFew work in Dos Palos

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 132Highest 59.4Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #395 of 574 in CA—

School district Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint UnifiedEmpire Union Elementary · Stanislaus County Office of Education

High school in town Dos Palos HighTeel School in Empire

Students per teacherat that high school 19.4Highest 9.6Lowest

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.

Dos Palos neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Dos Palos History

1 neighbor in Dos Palos can answer.

Empire neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Empire’s Town Square.

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Dos Palos vs Empire

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Dos Palos places higher on 10 of 18 CA lists

A typical home costs $200 more a month in Dos Palos

What daily life feels like in each

48 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Dos Palos History

Set another town beside Dos Palos and Empire

Towns like Dos Palos

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