Best PlacesWest Modesto, Modesto, CA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West Modesto, 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.
West Modesto, Modesto ranks 4,896th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. Education levels pulls hardest against it, while it scores best on low property taxes.
The best neighborhoods in West Modesto, 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.
West Modesto, Modesto's strengths and weaknesses
Where West Modesto, Modesto ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than 83% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 149 pleasant days a year, better than 74% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 69% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than 63% of neighborhoods
Where West Modesto, Modesto ranks low
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 7% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 16% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West Modesto, Modesto
A household needs to earn about $83,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West Modesto, Modesto home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $68,981, 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 West Modesto, Modesto's effective rate of 0.60%, 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 West Modesto, Modesto
West Modesto, 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 West Modesto, Modesto.
Who works in West Modesto, Modesto, and how
Work in West Modesto, Modesto centers on retail trade and manufacturing. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 87%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 5%
Life in West Modesto, Modesto
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across West Modesto, Modesto.
What the weather is like in West Modesto, Modesto, month by month
West Modesto, 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 West Modesto, Modesto
The nearest airport, Stockton Metro, is about 22 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Norman Y Mineta San Jose International, about 52 miles away.
The best schools in and around West Modesto, Modesto
Schools across West Modesto, Modesto average a D+, better than 19% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Paradise ElementaryB · 45% proficient
- Paradise CharterB− · 43% proficient
- Shiloh CharterC · 33% proficient
Top middle schools
- Evelyn Hanshaw MiddleD− · 17% proficient
- Mark Twain Junior HighD− · 13% proficient
Top high schools
- Modesto HighC+ · 39% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West Modesto, Modesto school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West Modesto, 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 West Modesto, Modesto against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in West Modesto, Modesto
Is West Modesto, Modesto a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West Modesto, Modesto ranks 4,896th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low property taxes, quiet, and the weather, and lowest on education levels and civic engagement. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West Modesto, Modesto expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $327,564. The overall cost of living runs about 4% above the national average. Set against a $68,981 median income, cost of living beats 26% of neighborhoods.
Is West Modesto, Modesto safe?
West Modesto, Modesto is safer than 43% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $529 per resident a year.
Compare West Modesto, Modesto with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West Modesto, Modesto. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West Modesto, 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.
West Modesto, Modesto detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West Modesto, Modesto: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West Modesto, Modesto: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West Modesto, Modesto: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West Modesto, Modesto: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West Modesto, 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.