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 B−RiverbankSafer than 45% of U.S. towns

Schools

BPattersonBetter than 55% of districts in the state C−RiverbankBetter than 24% of districts in the state

Health

CPattersonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns CRiverbankHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns

8Patterson

11Riverbank

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

Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #184#423 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #18#185 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #803#534 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #136#52 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #85#204 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #462#568 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #184#288 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #694#592

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 $190 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 →

Riverbank$2,850/mo

Typical home $483K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $1,604/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Patterson and Riverbank.

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

PattersonRiverbank

Snow a year0″0″

January low42°F 42°F

July high93°F 93°F

Growing season (days)351d 351d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)60th 43rd

Outdoors & history

PattersonRiverbank

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.8%2.1%

Settled1909 1922

National Register places2 1

Archive photos7 4

Famous people born here3 1

Community

PattersonRiverbank

Library hours a week30 hrs 30 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

21 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PattersonRiverbank

Patterson ↔ Riverbank21 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

PattersonRiverbank

People

Population 24,693Lowest 25,166Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.5%Highest CA: +6.1% +9.6%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 30.9±1.6Lowest 18% below CA 34.4±1.8Highest 9% below CA

Kids under 18 32.7%±3.4Highest CA: 22% 28.8%±2.6Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 10.2%±1.5Lowest CA: 15.7% 12.2%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7%

Riverbank and Patterson 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% 19.6%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.3%±1.4Highest CA: 7.6%

Riverbank 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 $87,966±$8kLowest 11% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $450,200±$20kLowest 39% below CA $463,200±$14kHighest 37% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,655±$250Highest 19% below CA $1,604±$226Lowest 21% below CA

Patterson and Riverbank 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 $3,714Lowest 28% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.6%±10.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 54.8%±8.4Highest CA: 55.3%

Riverbank 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% 12.8%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 72.3%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 2000Highest 24 yrs newer than CA 1996Lowest 20 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 42 minHighest 45% above CA 30 minLowest 5% above CA

Work from home 11.3%±4.3Highest CA: 17.2% 8.3%±2.3Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 15.7%Highest 5.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.3 miHighest 15.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.74Highest 0.35Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Modesto (6%)Modesto (22%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Lowest 2.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 3.4 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 22Highest 6Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 115Lowest 128Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #184 of 574 in CA #423 of 574 in CA

School district Patterson Joint UnifiedRiverbank Unified · Sylvan Union Elementary

High school in town Patterson HighRiverbank High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.8Highest 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.

Patterson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Patterson’s Town Square.

Riverbank neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Riverbank’s Town Square.

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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 Riverbank

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Riverbank places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Patterson

What daily life feels like in each

21 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Patterson

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