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%

Fowler$2,770/mo

Typical home $471K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $1,218/mo · Housing →

Colusa$2,140/mo

Typical home $372K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,132/mo · Housing →

The difference: $640 a month, about $7,700 a year, between Fowler and Colusa.

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

Colusa 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

CFowlerSafer than 26% of U.S. towns C+ColusaSafer than 35% of U.S. towns

Schools

BFowlerBetter than 55% of districts in the state B−ColusaBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

C−FowlerHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns CColusaHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns

9Fowler

11Colusa

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #719#180 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #8#255 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #205#537 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#568 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #12#211 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #65#275 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #483#648 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #582#724

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

FowlerColusa

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F 38°F

July high98°F 92°F

Growing season (days)337d 293d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 56th

Outdoors & history

FowlerColusa

Trails1 mi 7 mi

Conserved land0.5%13.5%

Settled1908 1850

National Register places—3

Archive photos2 6

Famous people born here—8

Community

FowlerColusa

Library hours a week39 hrs 40 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

219 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FowlerCA ColusaCA

Fowler ↔ Colusa219 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

FowlerColusa

People

Population 7,094Highest 6,505Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.3%Highest CA: +6.1% +7.4%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33.5±5.1Lowest 12% below CA 38.1±3.7Highest about the CA average

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

Kids under 18 30.7%±4.9Highest CA: 22% 30.2%±4.7Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 11%±2.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 17.4%±3.3Highest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.5%Highest CA: 37.1% 15.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 12.6%±3.3Highest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,983±$21kLowest 32% below CA $71,250±$11kHighest 28% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $379,800±$26kHighest 48% below CA $375,000±$29kLowest 49% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,218±$124Highest 40% below CA $1,132±$74Lowest 44% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,919Highest 43% below CA $2,210Lowest 57% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.7%±15.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 68.4%±14.9Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 19.3%Highest CA: 12% 18.1%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.7%Highest CA: 55.9% 59.9%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Highest 14 yrs newer than CA 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 24% below CA 20 minLowest 31% below CA

Work from home 5.5%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2% 4%±3Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 8.3%Lowest 25.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 13.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.93Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (35%)Williams (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColusaFew work in Fowler

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 13.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 7.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Highest 52.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #247 of 574 in CA #248 of 574 in CA

School district Fowler UnifiedColusa Unified

High school in town Fowler HighColusa High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.1Highest 20.0Lowest

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.

Fowler neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 5d

Perfect Day in Fowler

1 neighbor in Fowler can answer.

Colusa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colusa’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Towns like Fowler

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Grand Terrace13,078 people · $518K 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.

Fowler vs Colusa

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $640 more a month in Fowler

Colusa places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

219 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Perfect Day in Fowler

Set another town beside Fowler and Colusa

Towns like Fowler

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