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 →

Highgrove$3,840/mo

Typical home $626K (Census) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $1,463/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,070 a month, about $12,800 a year, between Highgrove and Fowler.

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

Highgrove places higher on 11 of 18 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 –HighgroveNot graded

Schools

BFowlerBetter than 55% of districts in the state C−HighgroveBetter than 18% of districts in the state

Health

C−FowlerHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns B−HighgroveHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns

7Fowler

11Highgrove

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #719#171 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #126#599 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #686#264 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #220#634 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #582#208 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #617#329 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #720#497 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #183#403

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

FowlerHighgrove

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F 43°F

July high98°F 95°F

Growing season (days)337d 353d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 99th

Outdoors & history

FowlerHighgrove

Trails1 mi 4 mi

Conserved land0.5%14.5%

Settled1908 1886

Archive photos2 —

Community

FowlerHighgrove

Library hours a week39 hrs 34 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

224 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FowlerCA HighgroveCA

Fowler ↔ Highgrove224 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

FowlerHighgrove

People

Population 7,094Lowest 8,366Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.3%Lowest CA: +6.1% +88.4%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33.5±5.1Highest 12% below CA 30.9±3.4Lowest 18% below CA

Fowler and Highgrove 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% 30.6%±4Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 11%±2.8Highest CA: 15.7% 6.1%±1.8Lowest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 37.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 12.6%±3.3Highest CA: 7.6% 7.2%±2.9Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,983±$21kLowest 32% below CA $114,125±$36kHighest 15% above CA

Highgrove 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±$26kLowest 48% below CA $625,800±$48kHighest 15% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,218±$124Lowest 40% below CA $1,463±$283Highest 28% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,919Lowest 43% below CA $6,748Highest 32% above CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.7%±15.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 58.9%±21.4Highest CA: 55.3%

Highgrove 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% 8.5%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 73.9%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Lowest 14 yrs newer than CA 2008Highest 32 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 24% below CA 31 minHighest 8% above CA

Work from home 5.5%±3.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 6.9%±3.7Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 8.3%Highest 1.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 14.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.23Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (35%)Riverside (16%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 14.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Highest 91.8Lowest

Schools

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

School district Fowler UnifiedRiverside Unified

High school in town Fowler HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 20.1 —

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 · 6d

Perfect Day in Fowler

1 neighbor in Fowler can answer.

Highgrove neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Highgrove’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fowler and Highgrove

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

Towns like Fowler

+ Compare

Fortuna12,326 people · $380K homes

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Live Oak9,347 people · $351K homes

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Colusa6,505 people · $375K homes

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Hughson7,648 people · $511K 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 Highgrove

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,070 more a month in Highgrove

Highgrove places higher on 11 of 18 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

224 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Perfect Day in Fowler

Set another town beside Fowler and Highgrove

Towns like Fowler

Post to Fowler

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