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Grover Beach vs Rodeo

221 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (3.6× in Grover Beach) and average commute (18 min in Grover Beach).

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Grover Beach, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 12,604 people
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Rodeo, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 8,976 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Grover BeachAn outdoors town
Outdoors#35 most walkable in CA3.8 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves Housing$774K typical home1% above the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 18%of CA districts All about Grover Beach →
RodeoOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 54%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#339 most conserved land in CA2.2 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves All about Rodeo →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid3.6×
Grover Beach has the more walkable street grid
Grover Beach 153Rodeo 41.9
Average commute18 min
Grover Beach has the shorter commute
Rodeo 38 minGrover Beach 20 min
Growth since 2010+14.7 pts
Rodeo has grown faster since 2010
Rodeo +11.2%Grover Beach -3.5%
Jobs per worker+86%
Grover Beach is more of a job hub
Grover Beach 0.52Rodeo 0.28
Seasonal homes+13 pts
Grover Beach has more second homes
Grover Beach 13%Rodeo 0%
Trails+73%
Grover Beach has more miles of trail
Grover Beach 3.8 miRodeo 2.2 mi
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grover Beach places higher on 10 of 19 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
B−Grover BeachSafer than 46% of U.S. towns –RodeoNot graded
Schools
C−Grover BeachBetter than 18% of districts in the state BRodeoBetter than 56% of districts in the state
Health
B−Grover BeachHealthier than 52% of U.S. towns B−RodeoHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns
10Grover Beach
8Rodeo

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #84#772 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #729#160 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #680#99 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #35#605 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #219#540 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #272#443 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #617#424 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #410#573

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Grover Beach’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $630 more a month in Grover Beach

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.

Grover Beach$4,450/mo
Typical home $774K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.60% · or rent about $2,061/mo · Housing →
Rodeo$3,820/mo
Typical home $646K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $2,190/mo · Housing →

The difference: $630 a month, about $7,600 a year, between Grover Beach and Rodeo.

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.

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
Grover BeachRodeo
Snow a year0″0″
January low46°F43°F
July high67°F74°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th87th
Outdoors & history
Grover BeachRodeo
Trails4 mi2 mi
Conserved land12.3%6.2%
Settled18871890
Archive photos186
Famous people born here1—
Community
Grover BeachRodeo
Library hours a week—23 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

221 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Grover BeachCARodeoCA
Grover Beach ↔ Rodeo221 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.

Grover BeachRodeo
People
Population 12,604Highest 8,976Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.5%Lowest CA: +6.1% +11.2%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 40.5±1.6Lowest 7% above CA 41.8±2.5Highest 10% above CA
Rodeo and Grover Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.2%±3.3Lowest CA: 22% 19.5%±3.5Highest CA: 22%
Rodeo and Grover Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.8%±3Highest CA: 15.7% 17.1%±2.6Lowest CA: 15.7%
Grover Beach and Rodeo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.7%Lowest CA: 37.1% 31.6%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.8%±1.8Lowest CA: 7.6% 5.9%±1.5Highest CA: 7.6%
Rodeo and Grover Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,458±$22kLowest 13% below CA $91,484±$18kHighest 8% below CA
Rodeo and Grover Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $727,500±$51kHighest about the CA average $663,200±$39kLowest 10% below CA
Grover Beach and Rodeo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,061±$102Lowest about the CA average $2,190±$206Highest 8% above CA
Rodeo and Grover Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,399Lowest 14% below CA $5,270Highest about the CA average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.3%±12Highest CA: 55.3% 49.1%±13.3Lowest CA: 55.3%
Grover Beach and Rodeo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11.8%Highest CA: 12% 8.4%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 50.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 59%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Highest 2 yrs newer than CA 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 30% below CA 38 minHighest 33% above CA
Work from home 14.7%±4.2Highest CA: 17.2% 13.2%±3.6Lowest CA: 17.2%
Grover Beach and Rodeo are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.5%Highest 2.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 16.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.52Highest 0.28Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Luis Obispo (19%)San Francisco (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in RodeoFew work in Grover Beach
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 12.3%Highest 6.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 3.8 miHighest 2.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 5Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 153Highest 41.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #557 of 574 in CA—
School district Lucia Mar UnifiedJohn Swett Unified
High school in town None in townNone in town
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.

Grover Beach neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Grover Beach’s Town Square.

Rodeo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rodeo’s Town Square.

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Bordering Grover Beach

+ Compare
Arroyo Grande18,372 people · $814K homes
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Pismo Beach8,014 people · $1.02M homes
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Oceano7,128 people · $556K homes

Towns like Grover Beach

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Artesia15,889 people · $777K homes
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Signal Hill11,468 people · $783K homes
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South Lake Tahoe21,269 people · $682K homes
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Port Hueneme21,582 people · $587K homes
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.

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