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Jamestown vs Sonora

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (8.3× in Sonora) and jobs per worker (4.8× in Sonora).

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Jamestown, CAHomes around $400KCalifornia · 3,265 people
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Sonora, CAHomes around $403KCalifornia · 4,919 people
Swap order
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.

JamestownHomes around $400K
Housing$400K typical home48% below the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 35%of CA districts All about Jamestown →
SonoraHomes around $403K
Housing$403K typical home47% below the CA typical home Work4,315 jobsbased in Sonora, a regional job hub SafetySafer than 7%of U.S. towns we grade All about Sonora →
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.

Trails8.3×
Sonora has more miles of trail
Sonora 3.3 miJamestown 0.4 mi
Jobs per worker4.8×
Sonora is more of a job hub
Sonora 1.63Jamestown 0.34
Homeowners+18 pts renters
Sonora has more renters
Jamestown 60.8%Sonora 42.8%
Average commute9 min
Jamestown has the shorter commute
Sonora 29 minJamestown 20 min
Street grid+70%
Sonora has the more walkable street grid
Sonora 91.5Jamestown 53.8
Work in town+13.1 pts
More of Sonora’s workers stay in town
Sonora 16.5%Jamestown 3.4%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Sonora places higher on 9 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
–JamestownNot graded DSonoraSafer than 7% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+JamestownBetter than 35% of districts in the state B−SonoraBetter than 53% of districts in the state
Health
C+JamestownHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns C+SonoraHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns
8Jamestown
9Sonora

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #90#481 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #455#207 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #526#288 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #749#535 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #570#369 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #596#491 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #16#105 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #762#830

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

Where they are

Jamestown and Sonora share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

JamestownSonoraJamestownSonora
Jamestown ↔ Sonora2.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
192 Jamestown residents work in Sonora (12.2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Jamestown →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Jamestown$2,350/mo
Typical home $400K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $944/mo · Housing →
Sonora$2,350/mo
Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,238/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
JamestownSonora
Snow a year0″0″
January low33°F33°F
July high93°F93°F
Growing season (days)213d213d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)97th75th
Outdoors & history
JamestownSonora
Trails0 mi3 mi
Conserved land1.4%1.7%
Settled—1850
National Register places37
Famous people born here—24
Community
JamestownSonora
Library hours a week—52 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.

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.

JamestownSonora
People
Population 3,265Lowest 4,919Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.3%Lowest CA: +6.1% +2%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 47.3±12.8Highest 25% above CA 42.1±5.8Lowest 11% above CA
Jamestown and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.7%±6.5Lowest CA: 22% 20.6%±5.6Highest CA: 22%
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.5%±6.4Highest CA: 15.7% 24.2%±5.4Lowest CA: 15.7%
Jamestown and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21%Lowest CA: 37.1% 33.2%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±3.3Lowest CA: 7.6% 4.8%±2.2Highest CA: 7.6%
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $57,276±$12kLowest 42% below CA $82,690±$25kHighest 17% below CA
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $374,600±$32kLowest 49% below CA $422,300±$33kHighest 43% below CA
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $944±$242Lowest 54% below CA $1,238±$182Highest 39% below CA
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,794Lowest 45% below CA $3,016Highest 41% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 69.5%±43.2Highest CA: 55.3% 57.8%±12.9Lowest CA: 55.3%
Jamestown and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.1%Lowest CA: 12% 16.9%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 60.8%Highest CA: 55.9% 42.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than CA 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 29% below CA 29 minHighest about the CA average
Work from home 7.6%±8.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 10.4%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2%
Sonora and Jamestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 16.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 41.8 miLowest 42.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.34Lowest 1.63Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sonora (12%)East Sonora (4%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 12% work in SonoraFew work in Jamestown
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.4%Lowest 1.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miLowest 3.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 1.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.8Lowest 91.5Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #455 of 574 in CA#207 of 574 in CA
School district Jamestown ElementarySonora Elementary · Sonora Union High
High school in town None in townSonora High
Students per teacherat that high school — 23.0
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.

Jamestown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jamestown’s Town Square.

Sonora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonora’s Town Square.

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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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