What it's like to live in Clovis
Clovis is a mid-size city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clovis deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Clovis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clovis
Based on Clovis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,584
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,680 a year
- 51% of Clovis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$96,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $48,270
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 27% above US
$1,792/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,792 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $482,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $482,700 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 14% above US
4.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 21% below US
261 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1414/100k · Clovis Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
31 public schools inside the boundary
There are 31 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. 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 Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (61 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clovis's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,792/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Clovis
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