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%

Williams$2,220/mo

Typical home $382K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $1,184/mo · Housing →

Freedom$4,350/mo

Typical home $755K (Census) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,621/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,130 a month, about $25,600 a year, between Freedom and Williams.

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

Freedom places higher on 12 of 18 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

CWilliamsSafer than 34% of U.S. towns –FreedomNot graded

Schools

A−WilliamsBetter than 79% of districts in the state B−FreedomBetter than 52% of districts in the state

Health

C+WilliamsHealthier than 45% of U.S. towns BFreedomHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns

6Williams

12Freedom

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #12#552 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #680#319 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #165#507 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #155#439 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #311#582 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #633#387 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #723#501 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #255#49

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

WilliamsFreedom

Snow a year0″0″

January low38°F 40°F

July high92°F 71°F

Growing season (days)293d 324d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)76th 97th

Outdoors & history

WilliamsFreedom

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0.8%7.2%

Settled1920 —

Archive photos12 2

Famous people born here1 —

Community

WilliamsFreedom

Library hours a week24 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

154 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WilliamsCA FreedomCA

Williams ↔ Freedom154 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

WilliamsFreedom

People

Population 5,585Highest 3,172Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.1%Lowest CA: +6.1% +24.9%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 30.4±2.2Lowest 20% below CA 32.1±3.9Highest 15% below CA

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

Kids under 18 30.6%±5.5Highest CA: 22% 30.1%±6.7Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 9.7%±3Lowest CA: 15.7% 14.3%±2.2Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 24.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.4%±2.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.2%±3Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $90,761±$22kLowest 8% below CA $93,750±$41kHighest 5% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $370,000±$19kLowest 50% below CA $755,300±$83kHighest about the CA average

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,184±$326Lowest 42% below CA $1,621±$209Highest 20% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,544Lowest 50% below CA $4,656Highest 9% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.8%±20.6Highest CA: 55.3% 35.8%±16.1Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 9.3%Highest CA: 12% 7.3%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 53.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 56.6%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1998Highest 22 yrs newer than CA 1965Lowest 11 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 9% below CA 31 minHighest 7% above CA

Work from home 2%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 5.4%±3.4Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 17.8%Highest 1.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.8 miHighest 13.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.65Highest 0.22Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Colusa (7%)Watsonville (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FreedomFew work in Williams

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 7.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 32.1Lowest 40.8Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #149 of 574 in CA—

School district Williams Unified · Colusa County Office of EducationPajaro Valley Unified · Santa Cruz County Office of Education

High school in town Williams Junior/Senior HighSanta Cruz County Career Advancement Charter

Students per teacherat that high school 20.3Lowest 27.2Highest

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.

Williams neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Williams can answer.

Freedom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freedom’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Williams and Freedom

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

Towns like Williams

+ Compare

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Waterford9,204 people · $402K homes

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Orland8,357 people · $342K 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.

Williams vs Freedom

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $2,130 more a month in Freedom

Freedom places higher on 12 of 18 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

154 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Williams and Freedom

Towns like Williams

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