What it's like to live in Exeter
Exeter is a small city in California with rent below the national average 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. Exeter deals with county unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Exeter compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Exeter
Based on Exeter's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,572
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,440 a year
- 44% of Exeter renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$61,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,760
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,286/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,286 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $307,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $307,600 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
10.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Tulare County is 10.8%, 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.
Tulare County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 19% below US
266 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1586/100k · Exeter Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 61% below US
14% 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 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (42 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Exeter's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,286/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Exeter
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