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Compare towns

Mendota vs Parlier

47 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+13.8 pts in Mendota) and trails (2.1× in Mendota).

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Mendota, CAHomes around $333KCalifornia · 12,577 people
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Parlier, CAHomes around $331KCalifornia · 14,507 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.

MendotaHomes around $333K
Housing$333K typical home56% below the CA typical home Health98% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 18%of U.S. towns we grade All about Mendota →
ParlierHomes around $331K
Housing$331K typical home57% below the CA typical home Health95% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#246 most walkable in CA1.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Parlier →
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.

Growth since 2010+13.8 pts
Mendota has grown faster since 2010
Mendota +14.4%Parlier +0.6%
Trails2.1×
Mendota has more miles of trail
Mendota 2.3 miParlier 1.1 mi
Average commute8 min
Parlier has the shorter commute
Mendota 31 minParlier 23 min
Work from home+6.2 pts
More people work from home in Mendota
Mendota 6.8%Parlier 0.6%
Jobs per worker+51%
Mendota is more of a job hub
Mendota 0.56Parlier 0.37
Street grid+41%
Parlier has the more walkable street grid
Parlier 99.0Mendota 70.3
★ What stands out · 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.

Mendota$1,900/mo
Typical home $333K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $1,042/mo · Housing →
Parlier$1,900/mo
Typical home $331K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $1,105/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

Parlier places higher on 15 of 23 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−MendotaSafer than 18% of U.S. towns C−ParlierSafer than 17% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−MendotaBetter than 24% of districts in the state C−ParlierBetter than 24% of districts in the state
Health
D−MendotaHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns D−ParlierHealthier than 5% of U.S. towns
7Mendota
15Parlier

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

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #106#608 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #599#211 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #568#161 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #83#188 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #419#246 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #640#794 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #468#561 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #628#525

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Mendota’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
MendotaParlier
Snow a year0″0″
January low38°F41°F
July high96°F98°F
Growing season (days)281d337d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd58th
Outdoors & history
MendotaParlier
Trails2 mi1 mi
Conserved land1.3%2.3%
Settled19421921
Archive photos22
Famous people born here—6
Community
MendotaParlier
Library hours a week39 hrs31 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.

Where they are

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MendotaCAParlierCA
Mendota ↔ Parlier47 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.

MendotaParlier
People
Population 12,577Lowest 14,507Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +0.6%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 26.6±1.4 30% below CA 26.6±2.2 30% below CA
Kids under 18 34.6%±4.4Lowest CA: 22% 35%±4Highest CA: 22%
Parlier and Mendota are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 8.5%±2.3Lowest CA: 15.7% 8.8%±1.8Highest CA: 15.7%
Parlier and Mendota are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 5.3%Lowest CA: 37.1% 5.6%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±1.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 8.7%±2.3Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $50,342±$8kLowest 49% below CA $52,357±$8kHighest 47% below CA
Parlier and Mendota 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 $256,400±$20kLowest 65% below CA
Mendota and Parlier 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 $1,105±$83Highest 46% below CA
Parlier and Mendota are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,536Highest 70% below CA $1,481Lowest 71% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.8%±11.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 54.8%±7.9Highest CA: 55.3%
Parlier and Mendota are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 27.5%Highest CA: 12% 27.1%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 44.7%Lowest CA: 55.9% 45.9%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 23 minLowest 21% below CA
Work from home 6.8%±3.8Highest CA: 17.2% 0.6%±0.8Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 14.8%Highest 7.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.56Highest 0.37Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (13%)Fresno (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ParlierFew work in Mendota
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 2.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miHighest 1.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.3Lowest 99.0Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #473 of 574 in CA#502 of 574 in CA
School district Mendota UnifiedParlier Unified
High school in town Mendota HighParlier High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.0Highest 18.9Lowest
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.

Parlier neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Parlier’s Town Square.

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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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