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

C−TulareSafer than 17% of U.S. towns CMaderaSafer than 28% of U.S. towns

Schools

C−TulareBetter than 20% of districts in the state B+MaderaBetter than 68% of districts in the state

Health

C−TulareHealthier than 24% of U.S. towns DMaderaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns

15Tulare

8Madera

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #568#288 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #216#320 SafestSafety · 411 towns #313#217 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #62#160 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #368#495 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #52#211 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #87#260 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #762#603

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Madera

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%

Tulare$2,080/mo

Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,435/mo · Housing →

Madera$2,460/mo

Typical home $426K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,353/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,500 a year, between Madera and Tulare.

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

TulareMadera

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 38°F

July high94°F 96°F

Growing season (days)328d 281d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st 80th

Outdoors & history

TulareMadera

Trails11 mi 6 mi

Conserved land2.3%2.5%

Settled1872 1876

National Register places1 1

Archive photos10 9

Famous people born here27 28

Community

TulareMadera

Library hours a week40 hrs 41 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

67 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TulareCA MaderaCA

Tulare ↔ Madera67 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

TulareMadera

People

Population 70,945Highest 67,831Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +16.2%Highest CA: +6.1% +7.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 29.5±0.9Lowest 22% below CA 30.4±0.7Highest 20% below CA

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

Kids under 18 32%±1.8Highest CA: 22% 30.8%±1.6Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 9.4%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7% 9.6%±0.9Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.8%Highest CA: 37.1% 10.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±0.7Lowest CA: 7.6% 8.1%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,410±$4kHighest 27% below CA $63,933±$5kLowest 36% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $329,800±$13kLowest 55% below CA $359,900±$9kHighest 51% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,435±$58Highest 30% below CA $1,353±$58Lowest 34% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,366Highest 54% below CA $2,295Lowest 55% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 60.3%±4.9Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 17.9%Lowest CA: 12% 25.6%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 54.7%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Lowest 14 yrs newer than CA 1991Highest 15 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 21% below CA 26 minHighest 10% below CA

Work from home 5.4%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2% 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 23.1%Lowest 27.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 18.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Lowest 0.84Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Visalia (23%)Fresno (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MaderaFew work in Tulare

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Lowest 2.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 10.5 miHighest 5.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 17Highest 9Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 82.1Lowest 86.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #368 of 574 in CA #495 of 574 in CA

School district Liberty Elementary · Tulare CitySherman Thomas STEM Academy District · Madera Unified

High school in town Tulare Western HighMatilda Torres High

Students per teacherat that high school 21.8Highest 20.5Lowest

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.

Tulare neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tulare’s Town Square.

Madera neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Madera’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tulare and Madera

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

Bordering Tulare

+ Compare

Matheny572 people · $151K homes

Towns like Tulare

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Porterville63,157 people · $286K homes

+ Compare

Los Banos47,593 people · $441K homes

+ Compare

Hanford59,754 people · $349K homes

+ Compare

Adelanto37,964 people · $349K homes

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.

Tulare vs Madera

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Tulare places higher on 15 of 23 CA lists

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Madera

What daily life feels like in each

67 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Tulare and Madera

Bordering Tulare

Towns like Tulare

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