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−MendotaSafer than 18% of U.S. towns –ArvinNot graded

Schools

C−MendotaBetter than 24% of districts in the state AArvinBetter than 90% of districts in the state

Health

D−MendotaHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns D−ArvinHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns

12Mendota

10Arvin

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #106#594 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #83#307 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #568#238 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #473#286 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #599#407 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #468#644 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #640#784 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#568

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Mendota$1,900/mo

Typical home $333K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $1,042/mo · Housing →

Arvin$1,810/mo

Typical home $301K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,122/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Mendota and Arvin.

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

MendotaArvin

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 41°F

July high96°F 98°F

Growing season (days)281d 334d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd 95th

Outdoors & history

MendotaArvin

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.3%1.6%

Settled1942 —

Archive photos2 —

Community

MendotaArvin

Library hours a week39 hrs 20 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

138 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MendotaCA ArvinCA

Mendota ↔ Arvin138 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

MendotaArvin

People

Population 12,577Lowest 19,539Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +1%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 26.6±1.4Highest 30% below CA 25±1.9Lowest 34% below CA

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

Kids under 18 34.6%±4.4Lowest CA: 22% 36.3%±3.4Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 8.5%±2.3Highest CA: 15.7% 5.1%±1Lowest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 5.3%Highest CA: 37.1% 5%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±1.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,342±$8kHighest 49% below CA $49,183±$4kLowest 50% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $281,000±$19kHighest 62% below CA $262,700±$15kLowest 64% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,042±$98Lowest 49% below CA $1,122±$89Highest 45% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,536Lowest 70% below CA $2,461Highest 52% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.8%±11.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 59.7%±10.4Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 27.5%Lowest CA: 12% 34.6%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 44.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 54.4%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1998Highest 22 yrs newer than CA 1993Lowest 17 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 7% above CA 25 minLowest 15% below CA

Work from home 6.8%±3.8Highest CA: 17.2% 1.8%±1Lowest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 14.8%Highest 10.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.56Highest 0.37Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (13%)Bakersfield (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ArvinFew work in Mendota

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 1.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.3Highest 70.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #473 of 574 in CA #286 of 574 in CA

School district Mendota UnifiedGrow Academy Arvin District · Arvin Union

High school in town Mendota HighArvin High

Students per teacherat that high school 22.0Lowest 25.9Highest

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.

Mendota neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mendota’s Town Square.

Arvin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arvin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Mendota and Arvin

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Mendota

+ Compare

Parlier14,507 people · $256K homes

+ Compare

Orange Cove9,695 people · $254K homes

+ Compare

Lindsay12,643 people · $286K homes

+ Compare

Firebaugh8,392 people · $242K 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.

Mendota vs Arvin

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Mendota places higher on 12 of 22 CA lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

138 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Mendota and Arvin

Towns like Mendota

Post to Mendota

Check your email