If you’re looking to transplant to California without breaking the bank, say hello to Fresno. Located in central California, Fresno offers easy access to big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, but Fresno has plenty going for it in its own right. For starters, life in Fresno is much, much cheaper than California writ large.
Affordability is great and all, but you don’t want to trade away your happiness and security just to save a few bucks. Fear not — Homesnacks has looked at recent census data to determine which Fresno neighborhoods are the best of the best. These are places where home values are high and getting higher, good-paying jobs are plentiful, crime is low, and there’s plenty of stuff to do. Like catching a famous act at the Save Mart Center, checking out the eerie yet stunning Forestiere Underground Gardens, or snapping photos of all the gorgeous trees blooming along the Blossom Trail. And if you’re a raisin guy, be advidsed that 100% of U.S. raisins are produced within a 60-mile radius of Fresno.
So just where are these hubs of entertainment, beauty, and quality? It seems that Fresno’s north side has a statistical edge over the rest of the city, so it’s a smart bet to start your search in neighborhoods north of Shaw, like Woodwar Park and Bullard. That doesn’t mean you should sleep on neighborhoods in Fresno’s southeast, like South Growth Area, where the home price to income ratio is crazy low.
Wherever you end up in Fresno, you’ll be served some of the best tacos in the country, so we hope you like Tex-Mex. But what is Fresno’s best neighborhood to live in for 2024? Keep reading to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Of Fresno’s 12 neighborhoods, the ones listed above stand out as the best of the best. They’re safer, more affordable, and generally higher quality than Fresno’s worst neighborhoods. They’re also the places that have high population densities, which translates into more fun things to do. None of these neighborhoods are super pricey, making Fresno a place where a person of any economic background can fit in comfortably.
However, there can only be one best neighborhood that represents the finest Fresno has to offer. So what is the best neighborhood in Fresno for 2024? According to the data, Woodward Park is the best neighborhood you can live in Fresno.
Curious to see how all of Fresno’s neighborhoods stacked up statistically? There’s a full list of Fresno’s 12 neighborhoods down below.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In Fresno
Population: 58,391
Median Home Value: $368,063 (Second best)
Median Income: $101,961 (best)
More on Woodward Park: Data | Real Estate
Population: 2,295
Median Home Value: $392,800 (best)
Median Income: $89,000 (Second best)
More on North Growth Area: Data | Real Estate
Population: 105,413
Median Home Value: $290,424 (Fourth best)
Median Income: $73,455 (Third best)
More on Bullard: Data | Real Estate
Population: 6,677
Median Home Value: $292,050 (Third best)
Median Income: $69,536 (Fourth best)
More on Southeast Growth Area: Data | Real Estate
Population: 56,561
Median Home Value: $228,950 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $56,701 (Seventh best)
More on Hoover: Data | Real Estate
Population: 57,728
Median Home Value: $197,767 (Eighth best)
Median Income: $49,244 (Eighth best)
More on Mclane: Data | Real Estate
Population: 3,848
Median Home Value: $201,550 (Seventh best)
Median Income: $66,411 (Fifth best)
More on South Growth Area: Data | Real Estate
Population: 123,984
Median Home Value: $179,668 (Ninth best)
Median Income: $48,271 (Ninth best)
More on Roosevelt: Data | Real Estate
Population: 39,506
Median Home Value: $220,748 (Sixth best)
Median Income: $62,943 (Sixth best)
More on West: Data | Real Estate
Population: 14,713
Median Home Value: $168,436 (Tenth best)
Median Income: $28,279 (12th best)
More on Central: Data | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Fresno, CA Neighborhoods In 2024
To rank the best neighborhoods in Fresno, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 12 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Fresno.” We’re lookin’ at you, Woodward Park.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Fresno, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Fresno.
Summary: Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In Fresno
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Fresno where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Fresno are Woodward Park, North Growth Area, Bullard, Southeast Growth Area, Hoover, Mclane, South Growth Area, Roosevelt, West, and Central.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Fresno aren’t all good. Edison takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Fresno.
The worst neighborhoods in Fresno are Edison, Fresno-High, Central, West, and Roosevelt.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.
For more California reading, check out:
Best Neighborhoods To Live In Fresno For 2024 Detailed Data
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodward Park | 58,391 | $368,063 | $101,961 |
| 2 | North Growth Area | 2,295 | $392,800 | $89,000 |
| 3 | Bullard | 105,413 | $290,424 | $73,455 |
| 4 | Southeast Growth Area | 6,677 | $292,050 | $69,536 |
| 5 | Hoover | 56,561 | $228,950 | $56,701 |
| 6 | Mclane | 57,728 | $197,767 | $49,244 |
| 7 | South Growth Area | 3,848 | $201,550 | $66,411 |
| 8 | Roosevelt | 123,984 | $179,668 | $48,271 |
| 9 | West | 39,506 | $220,748 | $62,943 |
| 10 | Central | 14,713 | $168,436 | $28,279 |
| 11 | Fresno-High | 56,759 | $127,194 | $35,850 |
| 12 | Edison | 23,773 | $165,716 | $32,395 |