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

AImperialSafer than 89% of U.S. towns B−PattersonSafer than 47% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−ImperialBetter than 50% of districts in the state BPattersonBetter than 55% of districts in the state

Health

B−ImperialHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns CPattersonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns

12Imperial

8Patterson

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #55#803 SafestSafety · 411 towns #1#104 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #329#530 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #830#635 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #116#281 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #531#694 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #292#184 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #322#167

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Patterson

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%

Imperial$2,690/mo

Typical home $442K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,255/mo · Housing →

Patterson$3,050/mo

Typical home $502K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,655/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Patterson and Imperial.

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

ImperialPatterson

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 42°F

July high107°F 93°F

Growing season (days)363d 351d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th 60th

Outdoors & history

ImperialPatterson

Trails2 mi 3 mi

Conserved land1%1.8%

Settled1904 1909

National Register places—2

Archive photos8 7

Famous people born here6 3

Community

ImperialPatterson

Library hours a week40 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

449 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ImperialCA PattersonCA

Imperial ↔ Patterson449 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

ImperialPatterson

People

Population 21,430Lowest 24,693Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +37.3%Highest CA: +6.1% +16.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 31.3±3.4Highest 17% below CA 30.9±1.6Lowest 18% below CA

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

Kids under 18 34.8%±5Highest CA: 22% 32.7%±3.4Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 9.5%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7% 10.2%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 13.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9.4%±2.4Highest CA: 7.6% 6.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $90,195±$8kLowest 9% below CA $93,650±$15kHighest 6% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $360,900±$14kLowest 51% below CA $450,200±$20kHighest 39% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,255±$316Lowest 38% below CA $1,655±$250Highest 19% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,605Lowest 30% below CA $4,465Highest 13% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.5%±12.1Highest CA: 55.3% 40.6%±10.6Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 12.5%Highest CA: 12% 9%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 71.3%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA 2000Lowest 24 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 35% below CA 42 minHighest 45% above CA

Work from home 7.5%±3.7Lowest CA: 17.2% 11.3%±4.3Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 12.5%Lowest 15.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 35.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.51Lowest 0.74Highest

Top workplaceoutside town El Centro (27%)Modesto (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PattersonFew work in Imperial

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 1.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miLowest 3.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Lowest 22Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.1Lowest 115Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #292 of 574 in CA #184 of 574 in CA

School district Imperial UnifiedPatterson Joint Unified

High school in town Imperial HighPatterson High

Students per teacherat that high school 23.1Highest 20.8Lowest

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.

Imperial neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial’s Town Square.

Patterson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Patterson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Imperial and Patterson

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

Bordering Imperial

+ Compare

El Centro44,240 people · $323K homes

Towns like Imperial

+ Compare

Riverbank25,166 people · $463K homes

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Oakdale23,194 people · $458K homes

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Sanger26,699 people · $365K homes

+ Compare

Dixon19,683 people · $605K 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.

Imperial vs Patterson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Imperial places higher on 12 of 21 CA lists

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Patterson

What daily life feels like in each

449 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Imperial and Patterson

Bordering Imperial

Towns like Imperial

Post to Imperial

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