Jobs, pay and daily life in Modesto, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Modesto is a city in California with 219,215 residents. The median household earns $79,891 a year and the median rent is $1,690 a month, which is 25.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Modesto, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 195,230 jobs.
How Modesto compares. Among the 145 places in California, Modesto is #19 by population, #17 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #128 for remote work (#1 = most), #126 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Stanislaus County, is #21 of 58 counties for average pay ($63,795).
Modesto has 219,215 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of California. It covers 43 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,056 people per square mile. The median age is 35.1, 7% younger than the state median (35.1 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $1,690 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($1,690 against $2,036). Over a year that is 25.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $442,700, which is 5.5 times the median household income ($79,891); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 58.9% of households own their home, 5% above the state average (58.9% against 55.9%).
The Modesto, CA metropolitan area has 195,230 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,610 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,610 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (21,700 jobs, median $46,920); office and administrative support (18,750 jobs, median $51,040); food preparation and serving related (18,400 jobs, median $40,580). The area is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (9.3 times) and community and social service (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($124,010) and management ($122,980). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Stanislaus County was 6.6%. 61.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Stanislaus County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.9% drive alone, 1.6% use public transit, 1.1% walk, 8.4% work from home. 19.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (19.9% against 19.4%).
21.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43% below the state share (21.2% against 37.1%). 19.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 29% below the state share (19.1% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 13.3%, 11% above the state rate (13.3% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 47°F (8.1°C). About 421 mm (17 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (94 mm) and Jul the driest (0 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Manteca (16 miles, rent 22% higher); Tracy (25 miles, rent 47% higher); Stockton (29 miles, rent 7% lower); Merced (37 miles, rent 18% lower). Rent differences are against Modesto; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,708) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideStanislaus CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,708 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 9,160 | 1.70 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $38,890 | -4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 6,700 | 1.38 | $42,630 | $35,270 | $47,030 | +37% |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,140 | 1.05 | $37,430 | $35,170 | $49,260 | +6% |
| Cashiers | 4,890 | 1.26 | $36,490 | $34,870 | $48,780 | +11% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,850 | 1.14 | $132,590 | $102,770 | $197,800 | +36% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 4,810 | 1.30 | $46,630 | $36,330 | $62,240 | +16% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 4,120 | 12.36 | $37,850 | $35,300 | $53,680 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 4,080 | 1.15 | $41,320 | $35,900 | $58,860 | +11% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,510 | 1.36 | $58,330 | $38,530 | $78,030 | -1% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,470 | 1.95 | $47,990 | $37,760 | $58,650 | +30% |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,280 | 1.06 | $46,570 | $36,220 | $65,000 | +3% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,790 | 0.63 | $104,330 | $54,280 | $225,020 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,670 | 0.96 | $41,230 | $35,470 | $59,350 | +12% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,450 | 1.40 | $101,640 | $64,670 | $128,290 | +59% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 2,350 | 2.42 | $55,810 | $38,870 | $63,330 | +20% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,140 | 0.75 | $34,910 | $34,320 | $61,390 | -1% |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 1,990 | 3.03 | $63,440 | $60,340 | $94,450 | +52% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,900 | 1.42 | $101,890 | $78,440 | $127,340 | +41% |
| Medical Assistants | 1,870 | 1.82 | $49,990 | $38,830 | $78,080 | +9% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,830 | 0.86 | $55,140 | $39,530 | $70,170 | +16% |
These figures are for the whole Modesto, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,610 (US $50,980); unemployment 6.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.2% |
| Manufacturing | 12.9% |
| Retail trade | 12.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.6% |
| Construction | 8.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.4% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 4.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.9% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Modesto lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County | 553,990 | $32,065 million | $57,881 | 199,396 | 17,952 | $63,795 | +1.1% | 6.6% | 255,342 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 36,104 | 23.3% | $76,446 | 1.26 |
| Manufacturing | 22,985 | 14.9% | $76,748 | 1.40 |
| Retail trade | 22,731 | 14.7% | $42,242 | 1.14 |
| Accommodation and food services | 18,566 | 12.0% | $30,696 | 1.02 |
| Construction | 10,990 | 7.1% | $75,607 | 1.05 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9,504 | 6.1% | $73,205 | 1.13 |
| Administrative and waste services | 7,201 | 4.7% | $48,388 | 0.61 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,532 | 3.6% | $71,396 | 0.40 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,487 | 3.5% | $76,362 | 0.70 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5,222 | 3.4% | $44,732 | 0.87 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,633 | 1.7% | $90,290 | 0.33 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,109 | 1.4% | $60,162 | 0.68 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,980 | 1.3% | $24,933 | 0.59 |
| Educational services | 1,248 | 0.8% | $38,314 | 0.30 |
| Management of companies | 1,226 | 0.8% | $154,883 | 0.36 |
| Information | 729 | 0.5% | $70,968 | 0.20 |
| Utilities | 401 | 0.3% | $149,278 | 0.53 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.9% |
| Public transit | 1.6% |
| Walk | 1.1% |
| Work from home | 8.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 19.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,891 |
| Income per person | $35,523 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,690 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.4% |
| Median home value | $442,700 |
| Homeowners | 58.9% |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 104.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,610 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 82.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.2% |
| Born abroad | 19.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.2 | 47 | 73 |
| Feb | 9.3 | 49 | 73 |
| Mar | 11.3 | 52 | 62 |
| Apr | 13.4 | 56 | 34 |
| May | 17.3 | 63 | 13 |
| Jun | 21.8 | 71 | 3 |
| Jul | 25.1 | 77 | 0 |
| Aug | 24.3 | 76 | 1 |
| Sep | 22.2 | 72 | 3 |
| Oct | 17.6 | 64 | 21 |
| Nov | 12.0 | 54 | 44 |
| Dec | 8.1 | 47 | 94 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manteca | CA | 16 mi | 89,043 | $97,055 | $2,065 |
| Tracy | CA | 25 mi | 96,966 | $121,119 | $2,478 |
| Stockton | CA | 29 mi | 322,326 | $79,907 | $1,577 |
| Merced | CA | 37 mi | 91,953 | $63,122 | $1,393 |
| Livermore | CA | 42 mi | 85,522 | $160,775 | $2,677 |
| Pleasanton | CA | 48 mi | 76,960 | $190,124 | $3,060 |
| Antioch | CA | 49 mi | 116,477 | $97,465 | $2,278 |
| Morgan Hill | CA | 49 mi | 45,425 | $163,920 | $2,474 |
| San Jose | CA | 50 mi | 990,138 | $146,427 | $2,669 |
| Milpitas | CA | 51 mi | 78,578 | $178,798 | $3,120 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
219,215 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,690 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.4% of the median household income.
$79,891 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
6.6% (BLS county, Stanislaus County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.