Living in Modesto

Modesto is a city in California, United States, home to 211,266 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are students (top 10%, #210 of 2,119), digital natives (top 11%, #500 of 4,750), car-free households (top 12%, #460 of 3,933).

Residents211,266

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport87 km (Mineta San Jose International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km563,900 people

Sea coast56 km

Climate typeMediterranean, hot summer (Csa)

Terrain around itabout 30 m, height range 0 m

Nearest major riverTuolumne, 1.9 km

Main railway lineunder 1 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.3,805 km

Within 10 km274,236 people

Greater areaGreater Modesto, the core

Winter daylight9 h 33 min, sunset 1:49

See Modesto on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Modesto

On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 33 min and sets around 1:49; in late June it sets around 5:29.

Best places in Greater Modesto

How Modesto ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In California
Young family	24	#11,000 of 11,898	#619 of 863	Map
Low-income household	27	#7,613 of 9,771	#41 of 775	Map
Low-income family	20	#7,660 of 8,006	#457 of 709	Map
Single parent	26	#5,916 of 6,237	#435 of 612	Map
Pensioner couple	55	#6,692 of 9,474	#540 of 760	Map
Single pensioner	51	#6,802 of 9,474	#539 of 760	Map
Early retiree	59	#5,336 of 10,762	#498 of 811	Map
Single professional	62	#1,415 of 4,537	#199 of 532	Map
Young professional	66	#1,152 of 4,444	#176 of 527	Map
DINKS	67	#1,323 of 3,053	#235 of 420	Map
Remote worker	54	#5,216 of 7,271	#301 of 648	Map
Commuter	71	#1,502 of 6,227	#186 of 645	Map
Car-free household	74	#460 of 3,933	#98 of 490	Map
Student	78	#210 of 2,119	#18 of 267	Map
First-home buyer	35	#5,733 of 8,006	#141 of 709	Map
Budget-constrained mover	23	#10,349 of 12,111	#103 of 862	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	68	#703 of 4,114	#132 of 506	Map
Expat professional	62	#3,079 of 7,271	#371 of 648	Map
Healthcare-first mover	55	#5,580 of 9,474	#484 of 760	Map
Nature-focused household	8	#17,942 of 18,063	#964 of 1060	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	0	#15,914 of 16,523	#897 of 1020	Map
Rural value seeker	1	#17,775 of 18,063	#816 of 1060	Map
High-net-worth mover	61	#4,810 of 16,523	#481 of 1020	Map
Lottery winner	72	#1,911 of 21,167	#247 of 1147	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	57	#9,134 of 12,111	#480 of 862	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	61	#4,360 of 12,111	#440 of 862	Map
Digital native	64	#500 of 4,750	#72 of 551	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Flat land (terrain relief)100
Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Foundation97
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)97
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)90
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)90
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)87
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)85
Lifestyle and amenities81
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)80
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)79
Mobility and connectivity68
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)61
Health and elderly61
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)58
Jobs and economy45
Safety and community30
Education and family25
Affordability15
Green space7
Sea or lake shore7
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.