What it's like to live in Turlock
Turlock is a smaller city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Turlock deals with home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Turlock compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Turlock
Based on Turlock's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,224
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,480 a year
- 50% of Turlock renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$92,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $46,060
- Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 14% above US
$1,612/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,612 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $460,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $460,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 42% above US
6.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.1%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
357 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 1312/100k · Turlock Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 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; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°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 & workforce▼ 26% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. 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 (68 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Turlock's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,612/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Turlock
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