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%

Sonora$2,350/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,238/mo · Housing →

Avalon$5,440/mo

Typical home $927K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $2,006/mo · Housing →

The difference: $3,090 a month, about $37,000 a year, between Avalon and Sonora.

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

Avalon places higher on 11 of 21 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

DSonoraSafer than 7% of U.S. towns C−AvalonSafer than 22% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−SonoraBetter than 53% of districts in the state BAvalonBetter than 60% of districts in the state

Health

C+SonoraHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns B−AvalonHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns

10Sonora

11Avalon

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

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #830#288 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #288#819 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #481#7 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #230#661 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #223#629 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #105#469 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #241#568 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #207#388

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

SonoraAvalon

Snow a year0″—

January low33°F —

July high93°F —

Growing season (days)213d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th 84th

Outdoors & history

SonoraAvalon

Trails3 mi 9 mi

Conserved land1.7%3.2%

Settled1850 1913

National Register places7 4

Archive photos—18

Famous people born here24 2

Community

SonoraAvalon

Library hours a week52 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

341 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SonoraCA AvalonCA

Sonora ↔ Avalon341 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

SonoraAvalon

People

Population 4,919Highest 3,338Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2%Highest CA: +6.1% -7.2%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 42.1±5.8Highest 11% above CA 41.9±10.4Lowest 11% above CA

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

Kids under 18 20.6%±5.6Highest CA: 22% 19.9%±8.4Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 24.2%±5.4Highest CA: 15.7% 24%±9.8Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 33.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 26.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.2Highest CA: 7.6% 3.4%±5.1Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $82,690±$25kLowest 17% below CA $105,139±$27kHighest 6% above CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $422,300±$33kLowest 43% below CA $936,000±$101kHighest 27% above CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,238±$182Lowest 39% below CA $2,006±$336Highest about the CA average

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,016Lowest 41% below CA $7,039Highest 37% above CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.8%±12.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 58.6%±24Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 16.9%Highest CA: 12% 11.5%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 42.8%Lowest CA: 55.9% 51.4%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 7 yrs older than CA 1946Lowest 30 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest about the CA average 12 minLowest 60% below CA

Work from home 10.4%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2% 9.3%±12Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.5%Lowest 40.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 42.3 miHighest 35.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.63Highest 1.14Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town East Sonora (4%)Los Angeles (12%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AvalonFew work in Sonora

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Lowest 3.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 3.3 miLowest 9.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 91.5Highest 9.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #207 of 574 in CA #388 of 574 in CA

School district Sonora Elementary · Sonora Union High—

High school in town Sonora High—

Students per teacherat that high school 23.0 —

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.

Sonora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonora’s Town Square.

Avalon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Avalon’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sonora and Avalon

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

Bordering Sonora

+ Compare

East Sonora2,651 people · $335K homes

+ Compare

Jamestown3,265 people · $375K homes

Towns like Sonora

+ Compare

Willits4,920 people · $371K homes

+ Compare

Fort Bragg7,032 people · $535K homes

+ Compare

Calistoga5,111 people

+ Compare

Sutter Creek2,702 people · $544K 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.

Sonora vs Avalon

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $3,090 more a month in Avalon

Avalon places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

341 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sonora and Avalon

Bordering Sonora

Towns like Sonora

Post to Sonora

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