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Madera vs Los Banos

42 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (29 min in Madera) and growth since 2010 (+18.8 pts in Los Banos).

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Madera, CAHomes around $426KCalifornia · 67,831 people
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Los Banos, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 47,593 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.

MaderaHomes around $426K
Housing$426K typical home44% below the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 68%of CA districts Health90% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Madera →
Los BanosAn outdoors town
Outdoors#190 most walkable in CA6.4 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves Housing$461K typical home40% below the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 20%of CA districts All about Los Banos →
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.

Average commute29 min
Madera has the shorter commute
Los Banos 55 minMadera 26 min
Growth since 2010+18.8 pts
Los Banos has grown faster since 2010
Los Banos +26.6%Madera +7.8%
Home values+23%
Homes cost more in Los Banos
Los Banos $440,900Madera $359,900
Property tax bill+27%
Tax bills are bigger in Los Banos
Los Banos $2,918Madera $2,295
Jobs per worker+75%
Madera is more of a job hub
Madera 0.84Los Banos 0.48
Rent+15%
Rent runs higher in Los Banos
Los Banos $1,557Madera $1,353
★ What stands out · Report cards

Los Banos places higher on 13 of 23 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
CMaderaSafer than 28% of U.S. towns C+Los BanosSafer than 37% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+MaderaBetter than 68% of districts in the state C−Los BanosBetter than 20% of districts in the state
Health
DMaderaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns CLos BanosHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns
8Madera
13Los Banos

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #293#841 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #260#42 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #603#770 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #620#489 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #766#633 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #321#190 SafestSafety · 411 towns #217#156 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #785#667

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $210 more a month in Los Banos

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.

Madera$2,460/mo
Typical home $426K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,353/mo · Housing →
Los Banos$2,670/mo
Typical home $461K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $1,557/mo · Housing →

The difference: $210 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Los Banos and Madera.

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
MaderaLos Banos
Snow a year0″0″
January low38°F39°F
July high96°F95°F
Growing season (days)281d322d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th72nd
Outdoors & history
MaderaLos Banos
Trails6 mi6 mi
Conserved land2.5%3%
Settled1876—
National Register places12
Archive photos912
Famous people born here2811
Community
MaderaLos Banos
Library hours a week41 hrs37 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

42 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MaderaCALos BanosCA
Madera ↔ Los Banos42 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.

MaderaLos Banos
People
Population 67,831Highest 47,593Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +26.6%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 30.4±0.7Highest 20% below CA 30.3±1.1Lowest 20% below CA
Madera and Los Banos are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.8%±1.6Lowest CA: 22% 31%±2.7Highest CA: 22%
Los Banos and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 9.6%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7% 10.9%±1.3Highest CA: 15.7%
Los Banos and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 12.5%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6% 6.9%±1.2Lowest CA: 7.6%
Madera and Los Banos are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,933±$5kLowest 36% below CA $68,171±$8kHighest 31% below CA
Los Banos and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $359,900±$9kLowest 51% below CA $440,900±$8kHighest 40% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,353±$58Lowest 34% below CA $1,557±$96Highest 24% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,295Lowest 55% below CA $2,918Highest 43% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.3%±4.9Highest CA: 55.3% 59.7%±8.1Lowest CA: 55.3%
Madera and Los Banos are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 25.6%Highest CA: 12% 17.4%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 54.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 59.8%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Lowest 15 yrs newer than CA 1997Highest 21 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 10% below CA 55 minHighest 90% above CA
Work from home 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2% 6.1%±2.2Lowest CA: 17.2%
Madera and Los Banos are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 27.4%Highest 21.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 41.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.84Highest 0.48Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (18%)Merced (4%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Los BanosFew work in Madera
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 5.6 miLowest 6.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Lowest 23Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.1Lowest 110Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #495 of 574 in CA#538 of 574 in CA
School district Sherman Thomas STEM Academy District · Madera UnifiedLos Banos Unified · Merced County Office of Education
High school in town Matilda Torres HighPacheco High
Students per teacherat that high school 20.5Highest 20.3Lowest
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.

Madera neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Madera’s Town Square.

Los Banos neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Los Banos’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Madera and Los Banos

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Bordering Madera

M
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Madera Acres9,846 people · $347K homes
P
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Parkwood1,758 people · $238K homes
P
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Parksdale2,885 people · $275K homes

Towns like Madera

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Tulare70,945 people · $330K homes
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Porterville63,157 people · $286K homes
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El Centro44,240 people · $323K homes
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Colton53,772 people · $444K 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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