Fresno vs Madera
Fresno, California versus Madera, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fresno and Madera score about the same overall (42 vs 40 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fresno | Madera |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $62k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $54k |
| Home Value | $322k | $297k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.17% | 19.41% |
| Unemployment | 9.0% | 12.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 48°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.4 in | 10.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 275 days | 275 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 66 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 67.5 | 82.1 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 79.0 | 60.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1939/100k | 1350/100k |
| Property Crime | 3461/100k | 1620/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 541,528 | 66,784 |
| Median Age | 32.1 | 29.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.72 | 0.67 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+12 |
| White (%) | 25.4% | 12.1% |
| Black (%) | 6.2% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 50.5% | 81.0% |
| Asian (%) | 13.7% | 1.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 2.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 14.6/20 | 11.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 124 mi | 105 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.7% | 89.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.13 | 7.19 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fresno or Madera more affordable?
- Fresno has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Fresno's $53k and Madera's $54k. Median rent is $1k in Fresno versus $1k in Madera.
- Is Fresno or Madera safer?
- Madera has the lower violent crime rate. Fresno reports 1939/100k and Madera reports 1350/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fresno or Madera?
- The median home value is $322k in Fresno and $297k in Madera, so homes are more affordable in Madera.