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−TulareSafer than 17% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+MaderaBetter than 68% of districts in the state C−TulareBetter than 20% of districts in the state

Health

DMaderaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns C−TulareHealthier than 24% of U.S. towns

8Madera

15Tulare

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

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#568 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #320#216 SafestSafety · 411 towns #217#313 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #160#62 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #495#368 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#52 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #260#87 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #603#762

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 $370 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.

Down paymentRate%

Madera$2,460/mo

Typical home $426K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,353/mo · Housing →

Tulare$2,080/mo

Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,435/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,500 a year, between Madera and Tulare.

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

MaderaTulare

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 38°F

July high96°F 94°F

Growing season (days)281d 328d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th 81st

Outdoors & history

MaderaTulare

Trails6 mi 11 mi

Conserved land2.5%2.3%

Settled1876 1872

National Register places1 1

Archive photos9 10

Famous people born here28 27

Community

MaderaTulare

Library hours a week41 hrs 40 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

67 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MaderaCA TulareCA

Madera ↔ Tulare67 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

MaderaTulare

People

Population 67,831Lowest 70,945Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +16.2%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 30.4±0.7Highest 20% below CA 29.5±0.9Lowest 22% below CA

Madera and Tulare 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% 32%±1.8Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 9.6%±0.9Highest CA: 15.7% 9.4%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7%

Madera and Tulare 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% 11.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.1%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6% 5.4%±0.7Lowest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $63,933±$5kLowest 36% below CA $72,410±$4kHighest 27% below CA

Tulare 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±$9kHighest 51% below CA $329,800±$13kLowest 55% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,353±$58Lowest 34% below CA $1,435±$58Highest 30% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,295Lowest 55% below CA $2,366Highest 54% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.3%±4.9Highest CA: 55.3% 56%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3%

Madera and Tulare 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% 17.9%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 58.5%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 15 yrs newer than CA 1990Lowest 14 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 10% below CA 23 minLowest 21% below CA

Work from home 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2% 5.4%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 27.4%Highest 23.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.84Highest 0.68Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (18%)Visalia (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TulareFew work in Madera

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Highest 2.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.6 miLowest 10.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Lowest 17Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.1Highest 82.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #495 of 574 in CA #368 of 574 in CA

School district Sherman Thomas STEM Academy District · Madera UnifiedLiberty Elementary · Tulare City

High school in town Matilda Torres HighTulare Western High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.5Lowest 21.8Highest

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.

Tulare neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tulare’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Madera and Tulare

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Bordering Madera

+ Compare

Madera Acres9,846 people · $347K homes

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Parkwood1,758 people · $238K homes

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Parksdale2,885 people · $275K homes

Towns like Madera

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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

+ Compare

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.

Madera vs Tulare

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Tulare places higher on 15 of 23 CA lists

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Madera

What daily life feels like in each

67 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Madera and Tulare

Bordering Madera

Towns like Madera

Post to Madera

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