Most people think of California as a monolith of Bernie Bros west. While the state votes Democrat the city of Fresno, like a number of cities east of the coastline, skews more centrist. It has things like an LGBT film festival, and a few thousand more democratic voters than republican, but it’s the second most conservative city in the state and votes more conservative than Houston or Dallas. We aren’t saying a conservative city is better or worse than a liberal one. Only if you think living in a centrist city overall and conservative one for a big city is a good thing you’ll like it here. 

A short note from a local about benefit of Fremont: 
*The best part about Fresno is the proximity to other stuff, mountains, parks, beach, etc. Having been born and raised here that's what is the benefit.*

For more reviews of what living in Fresno is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/fresno/reviews).

 We Ain’t San Francisco Or LA (or god forbid Berkeley)

The Best Thing About Fresno?

Fresno has a relatively toxic mix of soot and pollutants that in combination make this a city with among the worst for air quality in the country. While Fresno produces plenty of this on its own it also is unfortunately in a region surrounded by mountain ranges which means the unhealthy air from around the Central Valley and the Bay Area and LA pools atop the city. 

Note from a native about the air:
*I've haven't been back to Fresno for years. But I grew up there and lemme tell ya, people's jaws never fail to hit the floor when I tell them about "spare the air" days. Lotta folks across the country just have no concept of that. Shit is fuckin' nasty. Truly hope it gets better.*

For more reviews of what living in Fresno is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/fresno/reviews).

The Air

The Worst Thing About Fresno?

What locals will tell you about a Fresno Lifestyle is that you live here because of what is nearby rather than what is within the  city limits. Fresno is smack dab in the middle of an amazing state. You are in close proximity to the most magnificent national parks: Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon. You’re an hour or two from skiing, and two hours from coastal beaches. Finally, you’re a three hours drive to San Francisco or Los Angeles. Fresno the city may be quiet but if you want a reasonable drive to virtually anything you could want it works. 

If you're interested in checking out what people get up to in Fresno here's the [**calendar of events**](https://www.visitfresnocounty.org/blog/post/january-events-in-fresno-county/).

Lifestyle Of Fresno

The job market in Fresno is not considered exceptional. Generally people move here to work in Education: Fresno State, or the elementary/secondary school system. There is also a large health sector employer base with a large UCSF medical and research facility, a stellar VA hospital, and a large Community Regional Medical Center with the only Level 1 trauma center between LA and Sacramento. A big change coming to cities like Fresno however is the rise of Work-From-Homer’s who may want to be in California, be central to everything the state has to offer but also be able to rent cheaply or actually buy a home. 


Worklife Of Fresno

The cost of living in Fresno is comparable to Detroit and Albuquerque. That means for ~45,000 a year you can live comfortably here. The median price of a home in San Francisco is 5x that of Fresno so needless to say it is possible to spend a lot less and stay in the sun of California.  


Affordability

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Fresno?**  We Ain’t San Francisco Or LA (or god forbid Berkeley)

Most people think of California as a monolith of Bernie Bros west. While the state votes Democrat the city of Fresno, like a number of cities east of the coastline skews more centrist. It has things like an LGBT film festival, and a few thousand more democratic voters than republican, but it’s the second most conservative city in the state and votes more conservative than Houston or Dallas. We aren’t saying a conservative city is better or worse than a liberal one. Only if you think living in a centrist city overall and conservative one for a big city is a good thing you’ll like it here. 

**The Worst Thing About Oklahoma City?**  The Air

Fresno has a relatively toxic mix of soot and pollutants that in combination make this a city with among the worst for air quality in the country. While Fresno produces plenty of this on its own it also is unfortunately in a region surrounded by mountain ranges which means the unhealthy air from around the Central Valley and the Bay Area and LA pools atop the city. 

**How You Living?**  In A Suburban Version Of Urban

A majority of the best neighborhoods to consider in Fresno have a suburban feel. Single family homes with yards, wide streets, and close access to parks and good shopping and restaurants. Woodward Park, Bullard and Hoover are good places to start when you’re a young family looking for a new start, or a retiree looking for a cheaper option than the coast. 


**Why You Should Move Here Now?**  Affordability

The cost of living in Fresno is comparable to Detroit and Albuquerque. That means for ~45,000 a year you can live comfortably here. The median price of a home in San Francisco is 5x that of Fresno so needless to say it is possible to spend a lot less and stay in the sun of California.  


Fresno is smack dab in the middle of the Central Valley of California. For those not in the agricultural know, the Central Valley of California is a massive flat landmass that runs parallel to the coast of the Pacific and is the produce center of California and much of the country and world. It is undeniably hot and the Mediterranean climate is what makes it so ripe for growing produce that in some cases aren’t produced anywhere else in the United States. Fresno and the Central Valley sit west of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, making skiing, hiking and camping easily accessible options. It sits east of the Coast hill and mountain ranges making hiking and beach trips also simple to drive to in a couple hours. 


The Area

There isn’t a huge population of young professionals in Fresno but those that do choose to live here often live in the Bullard neighborhood. Located on the West Side of Fresno and near the airport, it has tons of restaurants and bars making much of the area walkable for nighttime antics. Central Fresno holds all of the downtown neighborhoods and is the most obvious location for those who want to be in the center of the car and restaurant scene of Fresno. There are tons of apartment and condo options amidst the social options and keep an eye out for the Tower Distric neighborhood here if an arts district is your vibe.
- Bullard
- Hoover
- Central (Downtown Neighborhoods) 
- Tower District


Young Professionals

Bullard

The Tower District “towers” over other neighborhoods for being home to the LGBTQ+ community of Fresno. The District is centered around the Art Deco Tower Theater and is the center of a cool mid-century architecture vibe. It is also filled with boutique shopping, theaters, eclectic dining choices and hosts the annual pride parade that takes place every year. The Fresno scene isn’t nearly as dominant as San Francisco or LA but for those looking to settle in a friendly neighborhood the Tower District is a good place to start your search.
- Tower District 


LGBTQ+ 

Tower District


Fresno has a number of family friendly neighborhoods with Woodrow Park and the North Growth Area at the top of the list due to their high public school ratings and extremely low crime rates. Woodrow Park also has great restaurants and a nice boutique shopping scene. This compelling commercial scene combined with great parks, walking trails and a lot to do outdoors makes this a neighborhood with a standalone feel amidst the city chaos. Fig Garden is another area to check out with historic homes and beautiful class fig trees that provide a cooling effect on the neighborhood blocks. The area is extremely walkscore friendly with tons of classic Adobe and Bungalow homes and a great commercial district and the Figarden Loop Park for the kiddos to run around in. 
- Woodrow Park
- North Growth Area
- Fig Garden
- Sunnyside
- McLane


Families 

Woodrow Park

The retirement scene in Fresno is more often in the burbs than the city. Kingsburg and Clovis are two suburbs that top most lists and local referrals to check out. Great weather and much lower costs than other California cities bring in the fixed-income communities and Kingsburg and Clovis are popular due to nice homes, safe streets, an outdoor lifestyle and active commercial scenes for shopping and dining. The North Growth Area is another suburb to check out. You’re a bit farther out than Clovis but you get nicer, bigger homes and the Copper River Country Club and Tennis Centre if that’s more your vibe. 
- Kingsburg
- Clovis
- North Growth Area


Empty Nesters/Retirees

Kingsburg

Fresno

**What is it like to live in Fresno, CA?**

I live in Clovis, which is basically Fresno but far superior in many aspects. Fresno in the summer feels like you're living on the planet Venus basically from early April until the end of October and we're now staying hot into mid November. If you're a fan of hot sunny weather, it's the place for you. I hate it. The town is overrun by graffiti and of course we have the adorable little scum bags, the Bulldog gang reeking havoc everywhere. We have absolutely horrible air quality all summer, bums begging for money on every major intersection, a minor league baseball stadium in the absolute worst part of town you can imagine, major car theft that ranks as one of the highest in the nation, a corrupt city council. And of course like the rest of this sterling state, we're in a drought of biblical proportion. Our farmers can't get any water because the leftists in Sacramento are more interested in protecting a six inch fish than get water to farmers. So yeah, it's a real panacea! If you're thinking of relocating here, take my advice and stay where you're at. Unless it's Detroit.

**What is it like to live in Fresno, CA?**

Ok, so everyone has already talked about the weather, so I won’t get into that again. Real estate is cheaper than most areas of the state, but still very high compared to national standards and lot sizes are getting smaller and smaller. The crime rate is getting worse with the passage of prop 47, lots of property crime. School districts are mediocre. Clovis Unified claims to be all that, but you will quickly find out that they are just really good at holding an image and teaching to the test. Fresno State is a great school and has a lot to offer. It’s underrated in my opinion for the quality of education you can get.

Let’s talk about Jobs. There are none. There are handful of professions in Clovis-Fresno and that is it. You will find Nurses, Teachers, Cops, Firefighters, Real Estate Brokers and Farmers in these parts and that is about it. The reason being is that we are an ag community and there are no companies here.

Air quality is horrendous. Every year it gets worse with the pollution from ag and the fires. Everyone here will eventually get some sort of cancer from chemicals and pollution.

As everyone else has said, the best part about Fresno is the proximity to other stuff, mountains, parks, beach, etc. Having been born and raised here, I’d suggest you avoid living in CA at all as the taxes and politics are getting worse, but if you do have to live in CA, then Fresno/Clovis is tolerable. Just make sure you live North of Shaw…. maybe even north of Herndon now.

**How is Fresno as a place to live in?**

Fresno is a lot better than what people say it is. Unfortunately, anything you ever hear is negative. I've had a few friends move here from the east coast or bigger cities like SF and LA, and they prefer Fresno over the big city life. They've also said it is a lot better than what they've heard. Look into Clovis as well. Both cities weirdly blend in together with how it's laid out and you won't be far as parts of Fresno are actually closer to Clovis than the heart of Fresno. To wrap up, it's not that bad. Give us a chance and buy into it, we may surprise you. Also, did any of us mention it gets hot here?

**How is Fresno as a place to live in?**

Honestly? It's a solid place to live. People from one to two towns over come here for entertainment.

Plenty of everything available.

Restaurants? Tons. Asian, Indian, Mexican etc. Very diverse city.

Movie theaters? Tons.

Malls? A good variety

Bars/clubs? Plenty.

Traffic doesn't come anywhere close to "bad" as big cities. It's got 3 streets that encompass everything really, Herndon, Blackstone and Shaw. If it isn't on those 3 it ain't real lol

Just live in a decent part of town and you're set.

Fresno, California

We're Not Too Conservative

Looklyloo Score: 73