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%

Gustine$2,390/mo

Typical home $422K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $1,395/mo · Housing →

Colusa$2,140/mo

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

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Gustine 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 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

C+GustineSafer than 43% of U.S. towns C+ColusaSafer than 35% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+GustineBetter than 68% of districts in the state B−ColusaBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

C−GustineHealthier than 19% of U.S. towns CColusaHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns

4Gustine

14Colusa

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #714#77 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #469#180 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #401#255 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #283#537 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #781#648 SafestSafety · 411 towns #119#173 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #171#275 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #728#624

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

GustineColusa

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 38°F

July high100°F 92°F

Growing season (days)273d 293d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th 56th

Outdoors & history

GustineColusa

Trails0 mi 7 mi

Conserved land3.1%13.5%

Settled1915 1850

National Register places—3

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—8

Community

GustineColusa

Library hours a week19 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

145 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

GustineCA ColusaCA

Gustine ↔ Colusa145 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

GustineColusa

People

Population 6,133Lowest 6,505Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.7%Highest CA: +6.1% +7.4%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 44.1±6.6Highest 16% above CA 38.1±3.7Lowest about the CA average

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

Kids under 18 19.7%±7.6Lowest CA: 22% 30.2%±4.7Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 17.3%±4.4Lowest CA: 15.7% 17.4%±3.3Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 15.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.4%±5.4Highest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $59,532±$14kLowest 40% below CA $71,250±$11kHighest 28% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $441,700±$26kHighest 40% below CA $375,000±$29kLowest 49% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,395±$190Highest 31% below CA $1,132±$74Lowest 44% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,275Highest 56% below CA $2,210Lowest 57% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.4%±21.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 68.4%±14.9Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 4%Lowest CA: 12% 18.1%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 56.6%Lowest CA: 55.9% 59.9%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1988Highest 12 yrs newer than CA 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 34 minHighest 20% above CA 20 minLowest 31% below CA

Work from home 1.9%±2.2Lowest CA: 17.2% 4%±3Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 13.6%Lowest 25.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.3 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.55Lowest 0.93Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Newman (5%)Williams (7%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Lowest 13.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 7.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 92.8Highest 52.2Lowest

Schools

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

School district Gustine UnifiedColusa Unified

High school in town Gustine HighColusa High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Lowest 20.0Highest

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.

Gustine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gustine’s Town Square.

Colusa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colusa’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Gustine and Colusa

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

Towns like Gustine

+ Compare

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Dos Palos5,765 people · $300K homes

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Tehachapi11,946 people · $356K 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.

Gustine vs Colusa

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Gustine

Colusa places higher on 14 of 20 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

145 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Gustine and Colusa

Towns like Gustine

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