What it's like to live in Reedley
Reedley is a small city in California with rent below 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. Reedley deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Reedley compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Reedley
Based on Reedley's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,576
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,520 a year
- 55% of Reedley renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,480
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,288/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,288 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $334,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $334,800 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 300% above US
17.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 17.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 134% above US
770 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 728/100k · Reedley Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 100°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▼ 56% below US
16% 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
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (48 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Reedley's strongest points are rent below the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,288/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Reedley
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