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−PattersonSafer than 47% of U.S. towns AImperialSafer than 89% of U.S. towns

Schools

BPattersonBetter than 55% of districts in the state B−ImperialBetter than 50% of districts in the state

Health

CPattersonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns B−ImperialHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns

8Patterson

12Imperial

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #803#55 SafestSafety · 411 towns #104#1 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #530#329 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #635#830 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #281#116 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #694#531 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #184#292 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #167#322

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Patterson

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%

Patterson$3,050/mo

Typical home $502K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,655/mo · Housing →

Imperial$2,690/mo

Typical home $442K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,255/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Patterson and Imperial.

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

PattersonImperial

Snow a year0″0″

January low42°F 43°F

July high93°F 107°F

Growing season (days)351d 363d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th 87th

Outdoors & history

PattersonImperial

Trails3 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.8%1%

Settled1909 1904

National Register places2 —

Archive photos7 8

Famous people born here3 6

Community

PattersonImperial

Library hours a week30 hrs 40 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

449 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PattersonCA ImperialCA

Patterson ↔ Imperial449 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

PattersonImperial

People

Population 24,693Highest 21,430Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.5%Lowest CA: +6.1% +37.3%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 30.9±1.6Lowest 18% below CA 31.3±3.4Highest 17% below CA

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

Kids under 18 32.7%±3.4Lowest CA: 22% 34.8%±5Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 10.2%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7% 9.5%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 22.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6% 9.4%±2.4Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $93,650±$15kHighest 6% below CA $90,195±$8kLowest 9% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $450,200±$20kHighest 39% below CA $360,900±$14kLowest 51% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,655±$250Highest 19% below CA $1,255±$316Lowest 38% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,465Highest 13% below CA $3,605Lowest 30% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.6%±10.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 44.5%±12.1Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 9%Lowest CA: 12% 12.5%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71.3%Highest CA: 55.9% 69.5%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 2000Lowest 24 yrs newer than CA 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 42 minHighest 45% above CA 19 minLowest 35% below CA

Work from home 11.3%±4.3Highest CA: 17.2% 7.5%±3.7Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 15.7%Highest 12.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.3 miHighest 9.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.74Highest 0.51Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Modesto (6%)El Centro (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ImperialFew work in Patterson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.4 miHighest 1.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 22Highest 6Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 115Highest 86.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #184 of 574 in CA #292 of 574 in CA

School district Patterson Joint UnifiedImperial Unified

High school in town Patterson HighImperial High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.8Lowest 23.1Highest

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.

Patterson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Patterson’s Town Square.

Imperial neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Patterson

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Fillmore16,816 people · $603K 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.

Patterson vs Imperial

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Imperial places higher on 12 of 21 CA lists

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Patterson

What daily life feels like in each

449 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Patterson and Imperial

Towns like Patterson

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