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McSwain vs Escalon

40 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (5× in Escalon) and household income (+71% in McSwain).

M ×
McSwain, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 5,783 people
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Escalon, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 7,451 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.

McSwainOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 53%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about McSwain →
EscalonKnown for its schools
Schools#214 for schools in CAof 574 towns Outdoors#191 most walkable in CA0.0 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves Housing$596K typical home22% below the CA typical home All about Escalon →
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.

Street grid5×
Escalon has the more walkable street grid
Escalon 110McSwain 22.0
Household income+71%
Households in McSwain earn more
McSwain $139,131Escalon $81,467
Home values+46%
Homes cost more in McSwain
McSwain $690,100Escalon $471,200
Property tax bill+37%
Tax bills are bigger in McSwain
McSwain $4,377Escalon $3,198
Age 65++11.2 pts
Escalon has more people 65 and up
Escalon 21%McSwain 9.8%
Bachelor’s degree++16.4 pts
More adults in McSwain have a degree
McSwain 33.6%Escalon 17.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $520 more a month in McSwain

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.

McSwain$3,980/mo
Typical home $690K (Census) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,516/mo · Housing →
Escalon$3,460/mo
Typical home $596K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,724/mo · Housing →

The difference: $520 a month, about $6,200 a year, between McSwain and Escalon.

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

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
–McSwainNot graded C+EscalonSafer than 37% of U.S. towns
Schools
–McSwainNot graded BEscalonBetter than 57% of districts in the state
Health
B−McSwainHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns BEscalonHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns
8McSwain
8Escalon

Lists won, of 17 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #735#191 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #156#554 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #362#620 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #759#547 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #461#274 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #495#310 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #686#523 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #392#244

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

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
McSwainEscalon
Snow a year0″0″
January low37°F39°F
July high95°F95°F
Growing season (days)263d305d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th72nd
Outdoors & history
McSwainEscalon
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—2%
Settled—1957
National Register places1—
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—4
Community
McSwainEscalon
Library hours a week—28 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

40 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

McSwainCAEscalonCA
McSwain ↔ Escalon40 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.

McSwainEscalon
People
Population 5,783Lowest 7,451Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +4.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 33.8±5.4Lowest 11% below CA 35.7±4.1Highest 6% below CA
Escalon and McSwain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.8%±6.4Highest CA: 22% 26.5%±4.9Lowest CA: 22%
McSwain and Escalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 9.8%±2.2Lowest CA: 15.7% 21%±5.3Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 33.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 17.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±2.6Highest CA: 7.6% 3.4%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6%
McSwain and Escalon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $139,131±$23kHighest 40% above CA $81,467±$15kLowest 18% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $690,100±$49kHighest 6% below CA $471,200±$15kLowest 36% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,516±$695Lowest 26% below CA $1,724±$353Highest 15% below CA
Escalon and McSwain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,377Highest 15% below CA $3,198Lowest 38% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 27.2%±9.3Lowest CA: 55.3% 50.7%±18.8Highest CA: 55.3%
Escalon and McSwain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.1%Highest CA: 12% 8.8%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73.8%Highest CA: 55.9% 72.4%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1995Highest 19 yrs newer than CA 1986Lowest 10 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 20% below CA 24 minHighest 16% below CA
Work from home 5.5%±2.7Lowest CA: 17.2% 9.6%±5.8Highest CA: 17.2%
Escalon and McSwain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.7%Lowest 10.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.34Lowest 0.61Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Merced (20%)Stockton (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EscalonFew work in McSwain
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 8Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 22.0Lowest 110Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#214 of 574 in CA
School district —Escalon Unified
High school in town —Escalon High
Students per teacherat that high school — 21.8
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.

McSwain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to McSwain’s Town Square.

Escalon neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Escalon can answer.

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Bordering McSwain

+ Compare
Atwater32,162 people · $363K homes

Towns like McSwain

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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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