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%

Fort Bragg$3,260/mo

Typical home $567K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.60% · or rent about $1,290/mo · Housing →

Jackson$2,500/mo

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

The difference: $760 a month, about $9,100 a year, between Fort Bragg 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 14 of 20 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

DFort BraggSafer than 8% of U.S. towns CJacksonSafer than 27% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−Fort BraggBetter than 46% of districts in the state C+JacksonBetter than 44% of districts in the state

Health

CFort BraggHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns B+JacksonHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns

6Fort Bragg

14Jackson

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #720#10 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #217#699 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #737#259 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #599#186 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #679#329 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #539#241 SafestSafety · 411 towns #370#228 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #651#360

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

Fort BraggJackson

Snow a year0″0″

January low40°F 40°F

July high65°F 95°F

Growing season (days)272d 332d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th 81st

Outdoors & history

Fort BraggJackson

Trails5 mi 0 mi

Conserved land11.4%0.7%

Settled—1848

National Register places2 9

Archive photos21 12

Famous people born here18 —

Community

Fort BraggJackson

Library hours a week41 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

179 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Fort BraggCA JacksonCA

Fort Bragg ↔ Jackson179 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

Fort BraggJackson

People

Population 7,032Highest 5,048Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.9%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 49±4.2Lowest 29% above CA 50.2±6.1Highest 32% above CA

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

Kids under 18 21.4%±4.8Highest CA: 22% 16.9%±4.4Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 23.7%±4Lowest CA: 15.7% 38%±7.1Highest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.4%Highest CA: 37.1% 23.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±1.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±2.1Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,481±$12kLowest 43% below CA $70,239±$18kHighest 29% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $535,400±$46kHighest 27% below CA $442,700±$49kLowest 40% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,290±$131Lowest 37% below CA $1,429±$151Highest 30% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,205Highest 37% below CA $2,632Lowest 49% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61%±13.1Highest CA: 55.3% 58.7%±20.3Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 18.2%Highest CA: 12% 10.9%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 46.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 60.5%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 12 yrs older than CA 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 56% below CA 20 minHighest 30% below CA

Work from home 5.6%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2% 2.6%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 45.4%Highest 11.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.3 miLowest 39.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.17Highest 1.11Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Mendocino (8%)Sacramento (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in JacksonFew work in Fort Bragg

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 11.4%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3 3

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.3Highest 52.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #365 of 574 in CA #270 of 574 in CA

School district Fort Bragg UnifiedAmador County ROP · Amador County Unified

High school in town Fort Bragg HighArgonaut High

Students per teacherat that high school 16.7Lowest 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.

Fort Bragg neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fort Bragg’s Town Square.

Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fort Bragg and Jackson

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

Towns like Fort Bragg

+ Compare

Calistoga5,111 people

+ Compare

Grass Valley14,113 people · $482K homes

+ Compare

Placerville10,762 people · $473K homes

+ Compare

Sonora4,919 people · $422K 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.

Fort Bragg vs Jackson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $760 more a month in Fort Bragg

Jackson places higher on 14 of 20 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

179 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Fort Bragg and Jackson

Towns like Fort Bragg

Post to Fort Bragg

Check your email