Modesto, CA vs Ruston, LA

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

Ruston

72.3

#911 nationally

Modesto leads in median household income ($73,375 vs $32,877). Ruston leads in average commute (13.9 min vs 29.4 min). Modesto leads in walk score (48 vs 25).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Modesto, CA	Ruston, LA
WhereAtHome Score	64.2 (#1712)	72.3 (#911)
Population	218,915	22,233
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$447,153	$229,937
Median Household Income	$73,375	$32,877
Average Commute	29.4 min	13.9 min
Walk Score	48	25
Crime Level	18.0	11.7
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	130	95
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+11.0	R+25.4