2019 Best Places to Live in the Modesto AreaAbout this List

Ripon

• Town in California
• 62 reviews

Current Resident: Ripon is a small, family-friendly community. The police and fire departments are very responsive. There are church of several different faiths in town. There are annual family-oriented activities such as the Almond Blossom Festival in February and Night-Out in August. There are five public elementary schools and one public high school. There is also a private elementary school and a private high school. There are lots of restaurants in town.
Read 62 Reviews

• B

• A-

• 15,173 Population

Turlock

• Town in California
• 178 reviews

Former Resident: I love Turlock. It’s a very nice, quiet town to live in. I moved there from Merced when I was six years old, and I’m now twenty-five years old. After living there for almost twenty years, I can definitely say it’s a great city to grow up in. The people are nice, there’s good food all throughout the town, there’s great shopping, and it’s centrally located to the larger cities like Modesto. It’s definitely a city I could see myself living in for a long time, and it’s a great place to raise a family in. I even had great experiences attending the school there, and there’s a great university in town, too.
Read 178 Reviews

• B

• B+

• 71,906 Population

Del Rio

• Town in California
• 6 reviews

• B

• B+

• 1,078 Population

Salida

• Town in California
• 28 reviews

Current Resident: Salida is a quiet area and is very neighborhood friendly. From my own personal experience, when my family and I went on vacation, one of our neighbors noticed our garage door was open for two days. They called the police and called us to make sure we were in no danger. In this small area, we help each other as much as we can.
Read 28 Reviews

• B

• B+

• 14,424 Population

East Oakdale

• Town in California
• 2 reviews

Current Resident: Beautiful ag and open lands, views of mountains, the Stanislaus River, wildlife, easy proximity to Gold Country, Yosemite and Tahoe for recreation, and to Modesto, Stockton or Turlock for jobs. People love walking and cycling here. Relaxed friendly feel. Very safe. Terrific farmstand produce but weak restaurant scene, shopping and very limited nightlife. Great place to raise a family or retire. Well regarded High School with fanatical football fans. East Oakdale is one of those rare "heaven on Earth" places.
Read 2 Reviews

• B-

• B

• 3,146 Population

Riverbank

• Town in California
• 65 reviews

Current Resident: I really like how nice everyone is and helpful to one another neighbors. Everybody gets along and does their daily work and errands with little faults with the police or government. The school system helps the low income students and families, as well as the disabled community to it's greater extend. The community gives back in many ways with the donation booths, parades, and funded charities and sports. In all it's calm and a clean place to live and strive in.
Read 65 Reviews

• B-

• B

• 24,047 Population

Modesto

• City in California
• 449 reviews

Current Resident: Modesto is a cute little town, personally I have lived in Modesto my entire life and as I stroll downtown with friends I seem to come across a new shop each time. Modesto is a quiet town to where you are able to relax and breathe in some country air but it is also loud enough to where you are not dying of boredom. There are great people in this town and lifelong friends to be made. Some parts of the town are better than others but the best part about Modesto is that a lot of people in this town have started from the bottom up and have thriving local businesses such as the Gallo winery. Modesto is also close to a lot of other attraction sites so you are never far from missing out on all the fun! There are great schools with great academic programs, Modesto is also close to an amazing CSU. It is great place to raise kids, pursue your passions and retire with the love of your life. Modesto will forever be a welcoming town!
Read 449 Reviews

• B-

• B-

• 210,166 Population

Empire

• Town in California
• 1 review

• B-

• B+

• 4,177 Population

Oakdale

• Town in California
• 64 reviews

Current Resident: I love this town! I've lived here my whole life. Here in Oakdale, we have a diverse yet close-knit community. Our Public Schools are great and being a one high school town we have tremendous support from the community. I will admit the nightlife is average but we have our fair share of bars and other amenities. Being a small country community we are perfectly situated between the city of Modesto and we are the gateway to the mountains so you have an adventure on either side. The river, rodeo, knights ferry, and of course football games can aid in your entertainment. We have low levels of crime and the conservative-leaning town keeps it quite. Jobs can be found and if your looking for a place to raise a family you've found it.
Read 64 Reviews

• B-

• B

• 22,256 Population

Atwater

• Town in California
• 86 reviews

Current Resident: Area is safe compared to Merced.

The McSwain homes are wealthy and well-kept.

This is the best choice to live in Merced County.

Would definitely recommend this city!
Read 86 Reviews

• C+

• B-

• 29,118 Population

Denair

• Town in California
• 14 reviews

Current Resident: It's a very small town on the edge of Turlock, quite and residential. It does not have very much going on in the actual town, we have a post office, a few churches, fire department, small convenience stores, gas station, and a library. Denair is very close to all the amenities Turlock provides. And Denair is very family friendly and patriotic.
Read 14 Reviews

• C+

• C

• 4,988 Population

Newman

• Town in California
• 19 reviews

Current Resident: I am a current resident of Newman. It is a small town which is good because you are comfortable and familiar with everyone. I would like to see a change in the local Recreation department. Overall it is a safe and quiet town. There are three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The school system cares about the students and offer many different programs for the students to take part in. There are rarely any major crimes committed in Newman. Mainly petty thefts. I would not say it is dangerous at night but as a quiet town there is no night life. Great place to live peacefully.
Read 19 Reviews

• C+

• C+

• 10,951 Population

Livingston

• Town in California
• 19 reviews

Current Resident: Living in Livingston has so far been a great experience. Livingston is a small town but despite its size, it offers a variety of opportunities. Currently, Livingston has around eight fast food restaurants, three grocery markets, two pharmacies and a lot more to offer. Livingston also hosts a Sweet potato festival during September in dedication to the local sweet potato companies and the biggest firework show in the valley for the Fourth of July. Overall, Livingston has a lot to offer and has so far been a great expirience living here.
Read 19 Reviews

• C+

• C

• 13,831 Population

Merced

• Town in California
• 251 reviews

Current Resident: I haved lived in Merced for 17 years and this town has had many drastic changes. Years ago, I would not have been scared to leave my house on a bike in broad daylight. As for now, leaving my home during the day and night alone is not safe. Throughout the years, Merced has a crime rate of 40 per one thousand residents. Therefore, Merced has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes. Due to the newest development of UC Merced, this town has become overpopulated and is under renovation to turn into a "college town". Although newest creation may seem aesthetically pleasing, Merced is in need of a change and a larger police force to ensure the safety of its residents.
Read 251 Reviews

• C+

• B-

• 82,008 Population

Waterford

• Town in California
• 11 reviews

Current Resident: Waterford is a very quiet, nice town to live in. There’s not a whole lot going on around here, but it does feel very safe. The last place I lived in always had me feeling nervous at night, and I feel completely comfortable in this small town. The only down side is that there isn’t a ton to do and there aren’t many good places to eat here.
Read 11 Reviews

• C+

• B-

• 8,786 Population

Winton

• Town in California
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: My experience about living in Winton for so long has I would say it has been great. My experience has been great because for the past years that I've lived here nothing bad has happened to me and my family. Something I like about Winton would be that there are many people of different race. Seeing people from different race isn't the only thing I like about Winton; but in fact something else I like would be that everyone is friendly. If there was something I would like to see changed in Winton would be that it could use a cleaning and not see many homeless people in the streets.
Read 7 Reviews

• C+

• C+

• 11,487 Population

Escalon

• Town in California
• 23 reviews

Niche User: Escalon is a small little Agriculture town in California's central valley. Due to its small size, it has a close knitted community and almost everyone knows each other in some way or another. The majority of the job opportunities revolve around agriculture. There are tons of acres dedicated to almonds and pasture. There aren't many choices regarding schools in Escalon, but they have pretty good teachers.
Read 23 Reviews

• C+

• B-

• 7,449 Population

Keyes

• Town in California
• 3 reviews

• C+

• C+

• 6,237 Population

Hughson

• Town in California
• 9 reviews

Current Resident: Hughson is a beautiful small town set in the heart of california. It has small town charm and lots of fun events throughout the year. The arboretum houses trees and plants from around California displayed within a walking trail with a map to follow. There is also fox Grove fishing access down by the river which also houses a wildlife refuge. Between the parades and highschool football games Hughson welcomes you into the heart of California and the heart of the thriving almond, walnut and peach industry.
Read 9 Reviews

• C

• B

• 7,295 Population

Gustine

• Town in California
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: On what I like about Gustine is that it is a very small town. Everyone knows everyone, and it is also a safe and quiet town. Gustine is a good experience to have if you want to have peace compared to big city's, Something that I would change is that I wish it had more food resources.
Read 7 Reviews

• C

• C-

• 5,735 Population

Delhi

• Town in California
• 33 reviews

Current Resident: I have been living in Delhi, California for almost two years. It's a peaceful and friendly town. The cost of living is minimum. I have been substituting as a teacher for the schools and they are well organized. The town has a population of about 10,000 residents. I enjoy going to the local park to play soccer with my family and friends.
Read 33 Reviews

• C

• C+

• 11,622 Population

Bystrom

• Town in California
• 5 reviews

• C

• C+

• 4,136 Population

Ceres

• Town in California
• 110 reviews

Current Resident: What i like about Ceres is that everyone is really nice and friendly to one another. The neighborhoods are really clean and nice. The public school campus is clean and the teachers are really nice to the students and the students feel safe going to school everyday. Ceres is a place where people should consider living because it is very affordable place to live. Finally, the environment is just a great place and people feel welcomed and cared for in Ceres.
Read 110 Reviews

• C

• C+

• 47,650 Population

Shackelford

• Town in California
• 10 reviews

• C-

• C+

• 3,548 Population

Patterson

• Town in California
• 41 reviews

Current Resident: It is a very small town, and there are many resources around. There is one major problem. There is no fun! Students have no place to hang out after school or during the weekends. We mainly consist of fast-food restaurants and 2 major grocery markets.
Read 41 Reviews

• C-

• C

• 21,497 Population