What it's like to live in Patterson
Patterson is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Patterson deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, and long average commutes.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Patterson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Patterson
Based on Patterson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,310
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,200 a year
- 39% of Patterson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$90,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,020
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,655/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,655 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $450,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $450,200 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 114% above US
9.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 9.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 30% below US
231 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 814/100k · Patterson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 60% above US
42 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 41.6 minutes, and that's just the average, meaning a lot of people are doing significantly more. This isn't a city where living far from the office is a comfortable bet. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 62% 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
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (53 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Patterson's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,655/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Patterson
All California guides →Not sure Patterson is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.