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%

Wheatland$2,680/mo

Typical home $456K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,264/mo · Housing →

Willows$1,860/mo

Typical home $321K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,237/mo · Housing →

The difference: $820 a month, about $9,900 a year, between Wheatland and Willows.

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

Wheatland places higher on 13 of 20 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

A−WheatlandSafer than 84% of U.S. towns –WillowsNot graded

Schools

BWheatlandBetter than 61% of districts in the state CWillowsBetter than 31% of districts in the state

Health

B−WheatlandHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns CWillowsHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns

13Wheatland

7Willows

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #12#443 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #791#379 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #642#233 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #208#431 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #277#540 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #173#377 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #328#568 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #741#553

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

WheatlandWillows

Snow a year0″0″

January low—38°F

July high—94°F

Growing season (days)—279d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th 72nd

Outdoors & history

WheatlandWillows

Trails16 mi 3 mi

Conserved land0.3%2%

Settled—1886

National Register places1 2

Archive photos3 —

Community

WheatlandWillows

Library hours a week—28 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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WheatlandCA WillowsCA

Wheatland ↔ Willows55 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

WheatlandWillows

People

Population 3,876Lowest 6,190Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.1%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 38.3±7.7Lowest about the CA average 38.6±5.3Highest about the CA average

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

Kids under 18 28.6%±7Highest CA: 22% 23.4%±5.6Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 15.8%±4.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 16.3%±4.3Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 15.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±3.3Highest CA: 7.6% 4.2%±2.7Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $83,452±$21kHighest 16% below CA $64,068±$18kLowest 35% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $429,200±$25kHighest 42% below CA $281,700±$32kLowest 62% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,264±$439Highest 38% below CA $1,237±$173Lowest 39% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,346Highest 35% below CA $1,904Lowest 63% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.2%±13.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 60%±18.8Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 11.2%Lowest CA: 12% 19.3%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 63.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 59.1%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1996Highest 20 yrs newer than CA 1975Lowest 1 yr older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 12% above CA 24 minLowest 15% below CA

Work from home 12.3%±9.3Highest CA: 17.2% 7.4%±4.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 6.3%Lowest 23.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 20.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Lowest 1.00Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Sacramento (9%)Chico (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WillowsFew work in Wheatland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.3%Lowest 2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 15.6 miHighest 2.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.8Lowest 77.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #208 of 574 in CA #431 of 574 in CA

School district Wheatland · Wheatland Union HighGlenn County ROP · Walden Academy District

High school in town Wheatland Union HighWillows High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.4Highest 18.8Lowest

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.

Wheatland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wheatland’s Town Square.

Willows neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willows’s Town Square.

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Towns like Wheatland

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Fowler7,094 people · $380K homes

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Escalon7,451 people · $471K 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.

Wheatland vs Willows

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $820 more a month in Wheatland

Wheatland places higher on 13 of 20 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

55 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wheatland and Willows

Towns like Wheatland

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