Should I Move To
Roughly 66,784 people live in Madera, California. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 4% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,188/mo; the typical household pulls in $61,626. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 26/100 — a F, putting it at #978 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Madera sits at 104 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,188/mo against $61,626 median household income), housing eats roughly 23% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $296,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is hot-summer: roughly 95°F in summer, 41°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 11 inches. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. AQI is in the moderate range at about 53.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Madera isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 29/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (57/100); the soft spot is education (1/100).
For retirees, Madera isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 34/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (57/100); the soft spot is education (1/100).
For remote workers, Madera isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 36/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (57/100); the soft spot is education (1/100).
For young professionals, Madera isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 29/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (57/100); the soft spot is education (1/100).
Our overall score for Madera is 26/100 — a F, sitting at #978 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Madera sits at 104 — moderate, 4% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,188 a month.
Madera runs hot-summer on the weather. Summer's near 95°F, winter's near 41°F; 11 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 36/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 66,784 people live here, with 10% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 29.
Drop Madera into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Madera with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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