What it's like to live in Coalinga
Coalinga is a small city in California with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Coalinga deals with county unemployment above the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
How Coalinga compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Coalinga
Based on Coalinga's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,186
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,720 a year
- 35% of Coalinga renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,240
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,093/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,093 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $262,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $262,400 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
8.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Fresno County is 8.5%, 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.
Fresno County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 62% above US
533 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 394/100k · Coalinga Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 99°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°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. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 65% below US
13% 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
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (53 miles away).
Bottom line
Coalinga'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,093/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Coalinga
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