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%

Newman$2,530/mo

Typical home $434K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,420/mo · Housing →

Live Oak$2,240/mo

Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,014/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Newman and Live Oak.

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

Live Oak places higher on 13 of 20 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

B+NewmanSafer than 71% of U.S. towns –Live OakNot graded

Schools

B−NewmanBetter than 50% of districts in the state B−Live OakBetter than 49% of districts in the state

Health

C−NewmanHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns CLive OakHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns

7Newman

13Live Oak

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #316#117 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #752#445 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #69#368 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #766#502 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #63#243 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #664#490 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #174#29 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #225#91

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Newman’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

NewmanLive Oak

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 38°F

July high100°F 92°F

Growing season (days)273d 293d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)70th 36th

Outdoors & history

NewmanLive Oak

Trails0 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2.8%3.6%

Settled1908 1947

National Register places—1

Archive photos7 7

Community

NewmanLive Oak

Library hours a week30 hrs 12 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

140 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NewmanCA Live OakCA

Newman ↔ Live Oak140 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

NewmanLive Oak

People

Population 12,316Highest 9,347Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.8%Highest CA: +6.1% +8.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 35±2.2Lowest 8% below CA 35.4±3.5Highest 7% below CA

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

Kids under 18 27.6%±5.4Lowest CA: 22% 29.2%±5.1Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 10.2%±2.4Lowest CA: 15.7% 15%±3Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Lowest CA: 37.1% 15.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 3.7%±1.7Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $78,906±$8kHighest 20% below CA $73,571±$14kLowest 26% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $412,700±$20kHighest 44% below CA $350,700±$25kLowest 52% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,420±$212Highest 30% below CA $1,014±$393Lowest 50% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,946Highest 43% below CA $2,068Lowest 60% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.6%±14.2Highest CA: 55.3% 51.5%±13.7Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 12.2%Lowest CA: 12% 17.4%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.6%Lowest CA: 55.9% 69.1%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 2000Highest 24 yrs newer than CA 1995Lowest 19 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 28% above CA 28 minLowest about the CA average

Work from home 6%±3.8Lowest CA: 17.2% 10.5%±5.8Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 12.5%Highest 7.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miLowest 32.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.37Highest 0.33Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Modesto (6%)Yuba City (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Live OakFew work in Newman

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.8%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 4Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 142Highest 79.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #476 of 574 in CA #517 of 574 in CA

School district Newman-Crows Landing UnifiedLive Oak Unified

High school in town Orestimba HighLive Oak High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.2Highest 19.5Lowest

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.

Newman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Newman’s Town Square.

Live Oak neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Discovering Hidden Gems

1 neighbor in Live Oak can answer.

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Set another town beside Newman and Live Oak

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

Towns like Newman

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Orland8,357 people · $342K homes

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Kingsburg12,755 people · $374K 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.

Newman vs Live Oak

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Newman

Live Oak places higher on 13 of 20 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

140 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Discovering Hidden Gems

Set another town beside Newman and Live Oak

Towns like Newman

Post to Newman

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