Living in San Joaquin Valley

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by eccotecc

Parsec,

First and foremost, Turlock isn't rural. It's approximately 10 miles south of Modesto which has a population of 300,000 residents. It's far enough away from Modesto to enjoy its own identity but not so far that you are a great distance from a huge variety of diverse venues. Rural, for the most part, refers to owning 1-5 acres with your home. Rural doesn't mean isolated. Even in the rural outskirts of Turlock your within walking distance of your neighbors and a short drive into town.

BTW... I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pa and I go back often to visit family and friends. I currently live in Mariposa County which is a gateway community to Yosemite. I lived in the central valley prior to moving to Mariposa because of the close proximity to the year round outdoor activities I enjoy. I hope you give Turlock your utmost consideration because I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Wait a second. rural = living on 1-5 acres? I live on 1.5 acres now and my neighbor has 5. I had to look up these stats: my current town of Sudbury has 18k residents and 25 sq miles. Turlock has 68k residents and 17 sq miles, which means it's 6x more densely populated than my current town. What are the typical lot sizes in that area? I can't live on anything less than 1/4-1/3 of an acre. I need some privacy. And maybe Turlock isn't as rural as I thought it was because Modesto is MASSIVE. Boston is the only city in New England with a population over 300k.

[Ragnar]

I've been lurking around this thread and have learned a great deal about Turlock, a town that I was not all that familiar with previously. Keep the great conversation going everyone!

[ddsalazar]

I do worry about crime rate in Turlock but are there areas where it is more prevalent? I know Modesto has it rough spots as well as do all towns/cities.

[Fiddlehead]

I was just in Turlock visiting recently, and I was very impressed. Some lovely neighborhoods. I wish I had explored the area east of town. That is, Waterford, Hughson, or northeast in Oakdale and Knights Ferry.

I cannot seem to find any idea on Waterford or Hughson, though they look pretty nice from google earth. I am interested nice rural areas with some trees and water that are commutable to Merced.

OP, did you end up moving to California?

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by Parsec

Yes I realize CA has a lot to offer but like you said it's a very big state so I meant within a short drive. Here we have a park within 5 minutes and a lake or river launching spot within 10 minutes of any house. I can drive to the beach in 45 minutes or the mountains in 1.5 hours so the fact that Turlock is 2 hours to either one doesn't sound too bad.

The biggest thing I will have trouble adjusting to is the fact that Turlock is a stand-alone town surrounded by farmland. Here we have a few small farms surrounded by lots of towns and houses. I found a cost of living calculator online which says a $100k salary here is equivalent to $70k in Turlock. The cost of an average house in Turlock is the cost of just the down payment on my current house so I'm not too worried about housing. Half my salary will probably go towards private school, not housing.

It's about 35 mile to San Luis O'Neill Forebay where many have loads of FUn windsurfing, camping, fishing, etc.

You can fish & camp on the California Aqueduct & Delta/Mendota canals. Fish & camp nearby on the San Joaquin River, Stanislaus River, Toullumne River, etc.