What it's like to live in Avenal
Avenal is a small city in California with rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Avenal deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and long average commutes.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Avenal compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Avenal
Based on Avenal's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,030
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,600 a year
- 48% of Avenal renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,890
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 28% below US
$1,015/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,015 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $228,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $228,900 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
9.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Kings County is 9.3%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Kings County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 27% above US
462 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 203/100k · Avenal Police Department · 2024 data
Getting around▲ 40% above US
36 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 96°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 92% below US
3% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (67 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Avenal's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,015/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, people who dread long commutes, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Avenal
All California guides →Not sure Avenal is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.