Local

Best places to live in the Modesto metro area

By Stacker Stacker

Updated September 23, 2025 9:51 PM

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Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in the Modesto metro area using data from the Niche. Niche uses 15 weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on cost of living, higher education rate, housing, public schools, diversity, and crime. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#22. Bystrom

- Niche grade: C-

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 4,109

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#21. Waterford

- Niche grade: C-

- Public school grade: B-

- Population: 9,177

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#20. Empire

- Niche grade: C-

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 3,867

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#19. Ceres

- Niche grade: C-

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 48,918

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#18. Winton

- Niche grade: C-

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 11,429

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#17. Newman

- Niche grade: C

- Public school grade: B-

- Population: 12,299

Jacek Chabraszewski // Shutterstock

#16. Delhi

- Niche grade: C

- Public school grade: C+

- Population: 10,525

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#15. Merced

- Niche grade: C

- Public school grade: B-

- Population: 89,766

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#14. Atwater

- Niche grade: C

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 32,013

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#13. Patterson

- Niche grade: C

- Public school grade: B-

- Population: 24,306

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#12. Livingston

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: C+

- Population: 14,450

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#11. Modesto

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 218,614

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#10. Hughson

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 7,541

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#9. Salida

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 14,457

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#8. Denair

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: C+

- Population: 5,085

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#7. Riverbank

- Niche grade: C+

- Public school grade: B

- Population: 24,881

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#6. East Oakdale

- Niche grade: B-

- Public school grade: A-

- Population: 2,346

Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko // Shutterstock

#5. Escalon

- Niche grade: B-

- Public school grade: B+

- Population: 7,429

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#4. Turlock

- Niche grade: B-

- Public school grade: B+

- Population: 72,400

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#3. Oakdale

- Niche grade: B-

- Public school grade: A-

- Population: 23,155

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#2. Ripon

- Niche grade: B

- Public school grade: A

- Population: 16,117

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#1. Del Rio

- Niche grade: B

- Public school grade: B+

- Population: 1,557

© Stacker Media, LLC.

This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM.