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Martinez vs Pacheco

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (54.6× in Martinez) and home values (2.5× in Martinez).

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Martinez, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 36,903 people
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Pacheco, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 4,325 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.

MartinezOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 86%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#96 most trails in CA38 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves Schools#130 for schools in CAof 574 towns All about Martinez →
PachecoAn outdoors town
Outdoors#3 most walkable in CA0.7 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 63%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates HistorySettled in 18571 place on the National Register All about Pacheco →
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.

Trails54.6×
Martinez has more miles of trail
Martinez 38.2 miPacheco 0.7 mi
Home values2.5×
Homes cost more in Martinez
Martinez $859,800Pacheco $343,300
Property tax bill2.4×
Tax bills are bigger in Martinez
Martinez $6,291Pacheco $2,629
Size8.5×
Martinez is the bigger place
Martinez 36,903Pacheco 4,325
Street grid2.4×
Pacheco has the more walkable street grid
Pacheco 201Martinez 83.7
Bachelor’s degree++23.9 pts
More adults in Martinez have a degree
Martinez 46.7%Pacheco 22.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,390 more a month in Martinez

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.

Martinez$4,410/mo
Typical home $754K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $2,353/mo · Housing →
Pacheco$2,020/mo
Typical home $343K (Census) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $1,828/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,390 a month, about $28,700 a year, between Martinez and Pacheco.

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.

Report cards

Martinez places higher on 11 of 18 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
C+MartinezSafer than 42% of U.S. towns –PachecoNot graded
Schools
BMartinezBetter than 55% of districts in the state –PachecoNot graded
Health
AMartinezHealthier than 86% of U.S. towns BPachecoHealthier than 63% of U.S. towns
11Martinez
6Pacheco

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #175#632 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #586#132 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #606#166 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#512 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #337#3 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #431#119 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #220#529 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #181#465

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

Where they are

Martinez and Pacheco share a border

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

MartinezPachecoMartinezPacheco
Martinez ↔ Pacheco2.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
71 Pacheco residents work in Martinez (4.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Pacheco →
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
MartinezPacheco
Snow a year0″0″
January low42°F42°F
July high88°F88°F
Growing season (days)346d346d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th99th
Outdoors & history
MartinezPacheco
Trails38 mi1 mi
Conserved land13.8%1.3%
Settled18491857
National Register places91
Archive photos182
Famous people born here362
Community
MartinezPacheco
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.

MartinezPacheco
People
Population 36,903Highest 4,325Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.1%Lowest CA: +6.1% +13.5%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 42.6±1.1Lowest 12% above CA 42.9±3.1Highest 13% above CA
Pacheco and Martinez are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.8%±2Highest CA: 22% 15.7%±5.7Lowest CA: 22%
Martinez and Pacheco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.9%±1.5Lowest CA: 15.7% 19.7%±3.7Highest CA: 15.7%
Pacheco and Martinez are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 46.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 22.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.7%±0.9Highest CA: 7.6% 3.3%±2Lowest CA: 7.6%
Martinez and Pacheco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $127,355±$8kHighest 28% above CA $101,210±$19kLowest about the CA average
Martinez and Pacheco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $859,800±$16kHighest 17% above CA $343,300±$342kLowest 53% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,353±$87Highest 16% above CA $1,828±$777Lowest 10% below CA
Martinez and Pacheco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,291Highest 23% above CA $2,629Lowest 49% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.6%±6.3Highest CA: 55.3% 39.6%±17.6Lowest CA: 55.3%
Martinez and Pacheco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.3%Lowest CA: 12% 13.2%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.8%Lowest CA: 55.9% 79.2%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977 1 yr newer than CA 1977 1 yr newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the CA average 25 minLowest 11% below CA
Work from home 22.3%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2% 11.2%±5.6Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 11.5%Highest 1.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 16.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.39Highest 0.91Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (11%)San Francisco (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Pacheco4% work in Martinez
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.8%Highest 1.3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 38.2 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.8 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 19Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 83.7Lowest 201Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #130 of 574 in CA—
School district Martinez Unified · Mt. Diablo Unified—
High school in town Alhambra Senior High—
Students per teacherat that high school 21.1 —
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.

Martinez neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Martinez’s Town Square.

Pacheco neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pacheco’s Town Square.

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Bordering Martinez

M
+ Compare
Mountain View2,418 people · $590K homes
V
+ Compare
Vine Hill3,540 people · $632K homes
A
+ Compare
Alhambra Valley979 people · $1.25M homes
+ Compare
Pleasant Hill34,235 people · $1.08M homes

Towns like Martinez

B
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Benicia26,749 people · $810K homes
+ Compare
Rancho Santa Margarita46,990 people · $971K homes
+ Compare
Cypress49,498 people · $914K homes
+ Compare
San Dimas33,789 people · $802K 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.

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