The Town FilesMadera, California
City in Madera County · population 66,224 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $359,900
- Household income
- $63,933
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 98°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 30.4
Madera is a city of 66,224 people in Madera County, California. The median home is worth $359,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 74% of California towns, more walkable than 73% of California towns, more vibrant than 70% of California towns.
How Madera ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Madera is worth $359,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $63,933, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $1,353 a month. 54.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Madera | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $359,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,353 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $63,933 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 54.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Madera
| People | Madera | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 9.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 30.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 25.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.6% | — |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Madera
July highs average 97.7°F and January lows 38.6°F. About 10.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 109 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 25 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madera since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 20, 2002 about 2.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 1, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 20, 2002.
Severe weather in Madera County since 1996
Madera County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Madera County
Madera County had 56,858 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,070 a year. Unemployment was 7.5% in 2023; in Madera itself the ACS puts it at 12.6%.
Public schools in Madera
45 public schools with 24,089 students, about 22.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda Torres High | 9-12 | 2,057 | 23.1 |
| Madera High | 9-12 | 1,865 | 25.5 |
| Madera South High | 9-12 | 1,855 | 21.8 |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle | 7-8 | 1,026 | 21.4 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Middle | 7-8 | 917 | 19.9 |
| Lincoln Elementary | K-6 | 842 | 22.8 |
| Jack G. Desmond Middle | 7-8 | 813 | 19.8 |
| John J. Pershing Elementary | K-6 | 781 | 23.0 |
| Berenda Elementary | K-6 | 761 | 27.2 |
| Sierra Vista Elementary | K-6 | 739 | 24.6 |
| John Adams Elementary | K-6 | 729 | 25.1 |
| Nishimoto Elementary | K-6 | 712 | 25.4 |
Towns near Madera
- Madera Acres, CA3.2 mi · 9,162 people · home $346,800
- Parksdale, CA3.8 mi · 3,234 people · home $274,700
- Bonadelle Ranchos, CA10.7 mi · 5,497 people · home $486,800
- Madera Ranchos, CA11.8 mi · 3,623 people · home $492,600
- Chowchilla, CA13.5 mi · 19,039 people · home $364,000
- Kerman, CA16.7 mi · 16,016 people · home $370,900
- Old Fig Garden, CA19.3 mi · 5,477 people · home $512,700
- Fresno, CA20.5 mi · 542,107 people · home $374,800
Madera questions
Is Madera, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Madera scores better for retirees than 10% of California towns and quieter than 9%. 9.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.4).
How much does a house cost in Madera?
The median owner-occupied home in Madera is valued at $359,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,933, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,353 a month.
What is the weather like in Madera?
July highs average 97.7°F and January lows 38.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 10.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Madera get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Madera since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 20, 2002. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)