Cost of living in Modesto, California
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,690 a month.
Modesto is a city in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $79,891 a year.
- People
- 219,215
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,690
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $79,891
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $442,700
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,803
- Modesto, CA MSA
Modesto, California has about 219,215 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $442,700.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Stanislaus County is $1,803 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Modesto. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the Modesto, CA metro area, prices sit at 104.1 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Modesto's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Modesto's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 599 have higher typical rent than Modesto.
Nearby places
- Rouse
Typical rent $1,383
Compare with Modesto - Bystrom
Typical rent $1,189
Compare with Modesto - West Modesto
Typical rent $1,432
Compare with Modesto - Parklawn
Typical rent $1,401
Compare with Modesto - Bret Harte
Typical rent $1,384
Compare with Modesto - Riverdale Park
Typical rent $1,554
Compare with Modesto - Ceres
Typical rent $1,639
Compare with Modesto - Empire
Typical rent $1,238
Compare with Modesto
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.