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Modesto vs Moreno Valley

333 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+26% in Moreno Valley) and work in town (+16.7 pts in Modesto).

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Modesto, CAHometown of 71 notable peopleCalifornia · 219,215 people
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Moreno Valley, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 211,666 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Modesto places higher on 13 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.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $640 more a month in Moreno Valley

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.

Modesto$2,560/mo
Typical home $443K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,690/mo · Housing →
Moreno Valley$3,200/mo
Typical home $551K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $2,135/mo · Housing →

The difference: $640 a month, about $7,700 a year, between Moreno Valley and Modesto.

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
ModestoMoreno Valley
Snow a year0″0″
January low42°F41°F
July high93°F95°F
Growing season (days)351d329d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th92nd
Outdoors & history
ModestoMoreno Valley
Conserved land5.4%11.3%
Settled18701984
National Register places4—
Archive photos417
Famous people born here7124
Community
ModestoMoreno Valley
Library hours a week78 hrs63 hrs
Colleges in town11
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

333 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Modesto ↔ Moreno Valley333 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.

ModestoMoreno Valley
People
Population 219,215Highest 211,666Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.6%Highest CA: +6.1% +7.9%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 35.1±0.5Highest 7% below CA 32.5±0.4Lowest 14% below CA
Kids under 18 26.2%±0.9Highest CA: 22% 25.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 22%
Modesto and Moreno Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.4%±0.5Highest CA: 15.7% 9.8%±0.5Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 17.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.5%±0.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.2%±0.5Highest CA: 7.6%
Moreno Valley and Modesto are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,891±$2kLowest 19% below CA $93,222±$3kHighest 6% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $442,700±$5kLowest 40% below CA $503,700±$10kHighest 31% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,690±$33Lowest 17% below CA $2,135±$38Highest 5% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,835Lowest 45% below CA $3,349Highest 35% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.4%±2.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 61.4%±3.6Highest CA: 55.3%
Moreno Valley and Modesto are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.3%Highest CA: 12% 11.7%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.9%Lowest CA: 55.9% 63.3%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest 2 yrs newer than CA 1988Highest 12 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minLowest 5% above CA 36 minHighest 24% above CA
Work from home 8.4%±1Highest CA: 17.2% 8%±0.7Lowest CA: 17.2%
Modesto and Moreno Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 31.2%Highest 14.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miLowest 17.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.94Highest 0.69Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Ceres (4%)Riverside (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Moreno ValleyFew work in Modesto
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.4%Lowest 11.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 28.2 miLowest 34.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 51Highest 33Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 119Highest 72.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #405 of 574 in CA#226 of 574 in CA
School district Yosemite ROP · Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy DistrictLeadership Military Academy District · Journey District
High school in town James C. Enochs HighValley View High
Students per teacherat that high school 23.5Highest 21.7Lowest
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.

Modesto neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Modesto’s Town Square.

Moreno Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moreno Valley’s Town Square.

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Bordering Modesto

Towns like Modesto

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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