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%

Hanford$2,260/mo

Typical home $383K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,309/mo · Housing →

Ceres$2,600/mo

Typical home $451K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,639/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,100 a year, between Ceres and Hanford.

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

Hanford places higher on 14 of 22 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

CHanfordSafer than 33% of U.S. towns C−CeresSafer than 22% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+HanfordBetter than 43% of districts in the state B−CeresBetter than 47% of districts in the state

Health

C+HanfordHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns C−CeresHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns

14Hanford

8Ceres

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #41#414 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #151#697 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #79#175 SafestSafety · 411 towns #184#271 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #613#488 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #594#749 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #138#277 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #603#740

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

HanfordCeres

Snow a year0″0″

January low37°F 42°F

July high98°F 93°F

Growing season (days)296d 351d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th 62nd

Outdoors & history

HanfordCeres

Trails5 mi 6 mi

Conserved land2%2.8%

National Register places3 1

Archive photos22 —

Famous people born here65 —

Community

HanfordCeres

Library hours a week44 hrs 30 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

114 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HanfordCA CeresCA

Hanford ↔ Ceres114 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

HanfordCeres

People

Population 59,754Highest 49,342Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.5%Lowest CA: +6.1% +8.6%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 32.5±1Lowest 14% below CA 32.8±1Highest 13% below CA

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

Kids under 18 28.7%±1.5Highest CA: 22% 27.9%±1.9Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 13.3%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7% 11.9%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.1%Highest CA: 37.1% 12.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.8%±0.9Highest CA: 7.6% 5.3%±0.8Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $76,461±$5kLowest 23% below CA $79,025±$5kHighest 20% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $349,400±$10kLowest 52% below CA $424,800±$10kHighest 42% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,309±$101Lowest 36% below CA $1,639±$81Highest 19% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,736Highest 47% below CA $2,665Lowest 48% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.6%±7Lowest CA: 55.3% 54.4%±8.9Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 14.5%Lowest CA: 12% 15.9%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.1%Lowest CA: 55.9% 64.4%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 11 yrs newer than CA 1986Lowest 10 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 21% below CA 34 minHighest 18% above CA

Work from home 7.2%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2% 5.7%±1.5Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 26.4%Highest 12.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.72Lowest 0.85Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Visalia (8%)Modesto (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CeresFew work in Hanford

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2%Lowest 2.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 5.4 miLowest 6.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 12Lowest 16Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 94.7Lowest 110Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #344 of 574 in CA #407 of 574 in CA

School district Hanford Elementary · Hanford Joint Union HighCeres Unified · Stanislaus County Office of Education

High school in town Hanford HighCeres High

Students per teacherat that high school 23.4Highest 22.6Lowest

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.

Hanford neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hanford’s Town Square.

Ceres neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ceres’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hanford and Ceres

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

Bordering Hanford

+ Compare

Home Garden1,806 people · $165K homes

Towns like Hanford

+ Compare

Highland56,675 people · $486K homes

+ Compare

Los Banos47,593 people · $441K homes

+ Compare

Yuba City69,471 people · $435K homes

+ Compare

Tulare70,945 people · $330K 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.

Hanford vs Ceres

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Ceres

Hanford places higher on 14 of 22 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

114 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hanford and Ceres

Bordering Hanford

Towns like Hanford

Post to Hanford

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