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 →

Winchester$3,910/mo

Typical home $653K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $1,658/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,140 a month, about $13,600 a year, between Winchester 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

Winchester places higher on 10 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 –WinchesterNot graded

Schools

BFowlerBetter than 55% of districts in the state C+WinchesterBetter than 37% of districts in the state

Health

C−FowlerHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns C+WinchesterHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns

8Fowler

10Winchester

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #126#828 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #12#552 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #205#676 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #685#269 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#568 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #719#517 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #728#531 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #617#424

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

FowlerWinchester

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F 40°F

July high98°F 95°F

Growing season (days)337d 315d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 98th

Outdoors & history

FowlerWinchester

Trails1 mi 11 mi

Conserved land0.5%2.4%

Settled1908 1886

Archive photos2 6

Community

FowlerWinchester

Library hours a week39 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

249 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FowlerCA WinchesterCA

Fowler ↔ Winchester249 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

FowlerWinchester

People

Population 7,094Highest 4,555Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.3%Lowest CA: +6.1% +21.1%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33.5±5.1Highest 12% below CA 30.8±4.5Lowest 19% below CA

Fowler and Winchester 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% 21.8%±4.7Lowest CA: 22%

Fowler and Winchester 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% 5.1%±3.2Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.5%Highest CA: 37.1% 14.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 12.6%±3.3Highest CA: 7.6% 7.4%±6.3Lowest CA: 7.6%

Fowler and Winchester 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 $79,250±$16kHighest 20% below CA

Winchester 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 $493,500±$66kHighest 33% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,218±$124Lowest 40% below CA $1,658±$629Highest 19% below CA

Winchester 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 $4,389Highest 14% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.7%±15.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 58.5%±32.6Highest CA: 55.3%

Winchester 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% 10.3%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 68.7%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Lowest 14 yrs newer than CA 1999Highest 23 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 24% below CA 46 minHighest 59% above CA

Work from home 5.5%±3.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 17.9%±8.5Highest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 8.3%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 28.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.19Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (35%)Temecula (10%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 2.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 10.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Highest 30.5Lowest

Schools

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

School district Fowler UnifiedHemet 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 · 5d

Perfect Day in Fowler

1 neighbor in Fowler can answer.

Winchester neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Winchester’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Fowler

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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 Winchester

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,140 more a month in Winchester

Winchester places higher on 10 of 18 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

249 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Perfect Day in Fowler

Set another town beside Fowler and Winchester

Towns like Fowler

Post to Fowler

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