Modesto, CA vs Riverside, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Modesto

64.2

#1712 nationally

Riverside

60.4

#1938 nationally

Riverside leads in median household income ($83,448 vs $73,375). Modesto leads in walk score (48 vs 43). Riverside leads in crime level (16.2 vs 18.0).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Modesto, CA	Riverside, CA
WhereAtHome Score	64.2 (#1712)	60.4 (#1938)
Population	218,915	318,858
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$447,153	$650,289
Median Household Income	$73,375	$83,448
Average Commute	29.4 min	31.3 min
Walk Score	48	43
Crime Level	18.0	16.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	130	140
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+11.0	R+1.3