Best PlacesSouth Modesto Acres, Modesto, CA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around South Modesto Acres, Modesto, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
South Modesto Acres, Modesto ranks 5,138th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and thin health care access ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in South Modesto Acres, Modesto
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
South Modesto Acres, Modesto's strengths and weaknesses
Where South Modesto Acres, Modesto ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 149 pleasant days a year, better than 74% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 71% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than 64% of neighborhoods
Where South Modesto Acres, Modesto ranks low
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Short commute33.6 minutes each way, better than only 9% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in South Modesto Acres, Modesto
A household needs to earn about $88,000 a year to comfortably buy the median South Modesto Acres, Modesto home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $73,150, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses South Modesto Acres, Modesto's effective rate of 0.50%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in South Modesto Acres, Modesto
South Modesto Acres, Modesto runs younger than the country, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for South Modesto Acres, Modesto.
Who works in South Modesto Acres, Modesto, and how
Work in South Modesto Acres, Modesto centers on manufacturing and construction. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 95%
- Work from home 1%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in South Modesto Acres, Modesto
South Modesto Acres, Modesto has more restaurants and bars per resident than 74% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of South Modesto Acres, Modesto and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in South Modesto Acres, Modesto, month by month
South Modesto Acres, Modesto sees roughly 149 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 98 degrees. January highs sit near 59, with lows near 39. The comfortable stretch runs March through May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 49° | 39° |
| April | 77° | 62° | 48° |
| July | 98° | 81° | 63° |
| October | 82° | 65° | 51° |
Flying in and out of South Modesto Acres, Modesto
The nearest airport, Stockton Metro, is about 24 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Norman Y Mineta San Jose International, about 53 miles away.
The best schools in and around South Modesto Acres, Modesto
Schools across South Modesto Acres, Modesto average a D+, better than 19% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Fairview ElementaryD− · 13% proficient
- Bret Harte ElementaryD− · 11% proficient
- Shackelford ElementaryF · 8% proficient
Top middle schools
- Evelyn Hanshaw MiddleD− · 17% proficient
Top high schools
- Modesto HighC+ · 39% proficient
- Central Valley HighC+ · 36% proficient
- Ceres HighC · 34% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every South Modesto Acres, Modesto school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
South Modesto Acres, Modesto measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare South Modesto Acres, Modesto against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in South Modesto Acres, Modesto
Is South Modesto Acres, Modesto a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, South Modesto Acres, Modesto ranks 5,138th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low property taxes, quiet, and the weather, and lowest on thin health care access and civic engagement. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is South Modesto Acres, Modesto expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $349,240. The overall cost of living runs about 3% above the national average. Set against a $73,150 median income, cost of living beats 30% of neighborhoods.
Is South Modesto Acres, Modesto safe?
South Modesto Acres, Modesto is safer than 34% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $614 per resident a year.
Compare South Modesto Acres, Modesto with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to South Modesto Acres, Modesto. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in South Modesto Acres, Modesto represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
South Modesto Acres, Modesto detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for South Modesto Acres, Modesto: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in South Modesto Acres, Modesto: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of South Modesto Acres, Modesto: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in South Modesto Acres, Modesto: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
South Modesto Acres, Modesto detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.