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%

Escalon$3,460/mo

Typical home $596K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,724/mo · Housing →

McSwain$3,980/mo

Typical home $690K (Census) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,516/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,200 a year, between McSwain and Escalon.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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+EscalonSafer than 37% of U.S. towns –McSwainNot graded

Schools

BEscalonBetter than 57% of districts in the state –McSwainNot graded

Health

BEscalonHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns B−McSwainHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns

8Escalon

8McSwain

Lists won, of 17 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #191#735 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #554#156 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #620#362 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #547#759 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #274#461 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #310#495 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #523#686 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #244#392

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

EscalonMcSwain

Snow a year0″0″

January low39°F 37°F

July high95°F 95°F

Growing season (days)305d 263d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)72nd 60th

Outdoors & history

EscalonMcSwain

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land2%—

Settled1957 —

National Register places—1

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

EscalonMcSwain

Library hours a week28 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

40 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

EscalonCA McSwainCA

Escalon ↔ McSwain40 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

EscalonMcSwain

People

Population 7,451Highest 5,783Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.4%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 35.7±4.1Highest 6% below CA 33.8±5.4Lowest 11% below CA

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

Kids under 18 26.5%±4.9Lowest CA: 22% 30.8%±6.4Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 21%±5.3Highest CA: 15.7% 9.8%±2.2Lowest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.2%Lowest CA: 37.1% 33.6%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.8%±2.6Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $81,467±$15kLowest 18% below CA $139,131±$23kHighest 40% above CA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $471,200±$15kLowest 36% below CA $690,100±$49kHighest 6% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,724±$353Highest 15% below CA $1,516±$695Lowest 26% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,198Lowest 38% below CA $4,377Highest 15% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.7%±18.8Highest CA: 55.3% 27.2%±9.3Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 8.8%Lowest CA: 12% 17.1%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Lowest CA: 55.9% 73.8%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1986Lowest 10 yrs newer than CA 1995Highest 19 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 16% below CA 23 minLowest 20% below CA

Work from home 9.6%±5.8Highest CA: 17.2% 5.5%±2.7Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 10.4%Highest 1.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miLowest 19.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Highest 0.34Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Stockton (11%)Merced (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in McSwainFew work in Escalon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 110Highest 22.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #214 of 574 in CA—

School district Escalon Unified—

High school in town Escalon High—

Students per teacherat that high school 21.8 —

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.

Escalon neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Escalon can answer.

McSwain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McSwain’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Escalon and McSwain

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

Towns like Escalon

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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.

Escalon vs McSwain

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $520 more a month in McSwain

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

40 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Escalon and McSwain

Towns like Escalon

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