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Compare towns

Visalia vs Palmdale

138 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (11.7× in Palmdale) and street grid (3× in Visalia).

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Visalia, CAHomes around $398KCalifornia · 143,939 people
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Palmdale, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 164,634 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $690 more a month in Palmdale

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.

Visalia$2,330/mo
Typical home $398K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $1,490/mo · Housing →
Palmdale$3,020/mo
Typical home $500K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $1,802/mo · Housing →

The difference: $690 a month, about $8,300 a year, between Palmdale and Visalia.

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

Visalia places higher on 15 of 22 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.

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
VisaliaPalmdale
Snow a year0″0″
January low38°F35°F
July high94°F98°F
Growing season (days)328d248d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th89th
Outdoors & history
VisaliaPalmdale
Conserved land4.3%7.7%
Settled18741886
National Register places4—
Archive photos129
Famous people born here5637
Community
VisaliaPalmdale
Library hours a week43 hrs56 hrs
Colleges in town2—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

138 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Visalia ↔ Palmdale138 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.

VisaliaPalmdale
People
Population 143,939Lowest 164,634Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +13.6%Highest CA: +6.1% +10.9%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 33.9±0.6Highest 11% below CA 33±0.8Lowest 13% below CA
Visalia and Palmdale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.9%±1.2Lowest CA: 22% 29.5%±1.2Highest CA: 22%
Palmdale and Visalia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.5%±0.7Highest CA: 15.7% 11.1%±0.7Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.1%Highest CA: 37.1% 17.1%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.8%±0.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.1%±0.5Highest CA: 7.6%
Palmdale and Visalia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $81,989±$3kHighest 17% below CA $81,770±$3kLowest 18% below CA
Visalia and Palmdale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $371,500±$9kLowest 49% below CA $471,000±$7kHighest 36% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,490±$43Lowest 27% below CA $1,802±$60Highest 11% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,741Lowest 47% below CA $4,493Highest 12% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.2%±3.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 64%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 11.5%Lowest CA: 12% 15.7%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 61.1%Lowest CA: 55.9% 66.2%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1988Lowest 12 yrs newer than CA 1989Highest 13 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 20% below CA 40 minHighest 39% above CA
Work from home 8%±1.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 9.1%±0.9Highest CA: 17.2%
Palmdale and Visalia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 44.4%Highest 15.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 34.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.15Highest 0.57Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (6%)Los Angeles (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PalmdaleFew work in Visalia
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.3%Lowest 7.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 16.1 miLowest 189.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 41Highest 15Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 103Highest 34.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #185 of 574 in CA#484 of 574 in CA
School district Visalia Unified · Tulare County Office of EducationAntelope Valley ROP · Antelope Valley Union High
High school in town Redwood HighHighland High
Students per teacherat that high school 24.1Lowest 25.2Highest
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.

Visalia neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Visalia’s Town Square.

Palmdale neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Palmdale Hidden Gems

1 neighbor in Palmdale can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Visalia and Palmdale

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

Bordering Visalia

Towns like Visalia

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.

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