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Madera vs Parkwood

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (38.6× in Madera) and home values (+52% in Madera).

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Madera, CAHomes around $426KCalifornia · 67,831 people
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Parkwood, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 1,758 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.

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 →
ParkwoodOne of the healthiest towns
Health82% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Parkwood →
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.

Size38.6×
Madera is the bigger place
Madera 67,831Parkwood 1,758
Home values+52%
Homes cost more in Madera
Madera $359,900Parkwood $237,500
Jobs per worker3.1×
Madera is more of a job hub
Madera 0.84Parkwood 0.27
Work in town+26.3 pts
More of Madera’s workers stay in town
Madera 27.4%Parkwood 1.1%
Property tax bill+42%
Tax bills are bigger in Madera
Madera $2,295Parkwood $1,617
Street grid+81%
Madera has the more walkable street grid
Madera 86.1Parkwood 47.7
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,080 more a month in Madera

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 →
Parkwood$1,380/mo
Typical home $238K (Census) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,536/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,080 a month, about $12,900 a year, between Madera and Parkwood.

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.

Where they are

Madera and Parkwood share a border

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

MaderaParkwoodMaderaParkwood
Madera ↔ Parkwood3.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
215 Parkwood residents work in Madera (25.2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Parkwood →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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 –ParkwoodNot graded
Schools
B+MaderaBetter than 68% of districts in the state –ParkwoodNot graded
Health
DMaderaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns C−ParkwoodHealthier than 18% of U.S. towns
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
MaderaParkwood
Snow a year0″0″
January low38°F38°F
July high96°F96°F
Growing season (days)281d281d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th78th
Outdoors & history
MaderaParkwood
Trails6 mi0 mi
Conserved land2.5%1.1%
Settled1876—
National Register places1—
Archive photos9—
Famous people born here28—
Community
MaderaParkwood
Library hours a week41 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.

MaderaParkwood
People
Population 67,831Highest 1,758Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.8%Highest CA: +6.1% +1.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 30.4±0.7Lowest 20% below CA 31.9±5.3Highest 16% below CA
Parkwood and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.8%±1.6Highest CA: 22% 26.6%±5.9Lowest CA: 22%
Madera and Parkwood 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% 13.9%±5.4Highest CA: 15.7%
Parkwood 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%Highest CA: 37.1% 7.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6% 2.4%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,933±$5kHighest 36% below CA $61,645±$35kLowest 38% below CA
Madera and Parkwood are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $359,900±$9kHighest 51% below CA $237,500±$72kLowest 68% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,353±$58Lowest 34% below CA $1,536±$379Highest 25% below CA
Parkwood and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,295Highest 55% below CA $1,617Lowest 68% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.3%±4.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 71.3%±36.2Highest CA: 55.3%
Parkwood and Madera 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% 20.8%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 54.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 60.5%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 15 yrs newer than CA 1982Lowest 6 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 10% below CA 20 minLowest 31% below CA
Work from home 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2% 1.4%±2.6Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 27.4%Highest 1.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 17.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.84Highest 0.27Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (18%)Madera (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Parkwood25% work in Madera
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Highest 1.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.1Highest 47.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #495 of 574 in CA—
School district Sherman Thomas STEM Academy District · Madera Unified—
High school in town Matilda Torres High—
Students per teacherat that high school 20.5 —
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.

Parkwood neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parkwood’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Madera and Parkwood

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Bordering Madera

M
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Madera Acres9,846 people · $347K 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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Los Banos47,593 people · $441K homes
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El Centro44,240 people · $323K 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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