Fresno/ Fresno County Bad? (Visalia, Clovis: fit in, rent, violent crime)

[Ca716]

From some things I read here Fresno isn't as bad as people make it out to be but some people really scare me with their comments regarding it. I am planning on moving to Fresno county hopefully Clovis if I can find a home in my budget around June. I'm from St. Louis and we have a horrible reputation however, I live in St. Louis county and if I forget to lock a door or leave something outside I don't have to worry about it being stolen. I can walk down my street without worrying about getting killed or anything like that. An I live 4 miles away from the city of St. Louis which is pretty dangerous but people pretty much stay in their zone if that makes any sense. I wonder if Fresno is like that or if I'm making a huge mistake. I pretty much chose Fresno because of the lower rent cost but Clovis school district. Any advice on this area? I plan on visiting the areas at least twice before the move just looking for all insight.

Thanks,
Nichole

[Krispytopher]

In Fresno, things left out front will be stolen, my car was stolen from my driveway and I'm not the only one. My brother's company truck got broken into twice. I also had someone try to kick in my front door because they thought no one was home, so leaving the door unlocked will make it easier for them. I don't even live that rough of an area!

In Clovis, it depends. You will not be shot for walking around or being in a spot you feel you don't fit in. But things do get stolen still, bikes, toys, etc. you live here, lock everything, cars, houses, and keep stuff in the backyard, leave nothing unattended.

There is a reason why this place is so much cheaper/affordable compared to everywhere else.

[aboveordinary]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/calif...ty-worsts.html

[Adriatica]

It all depends. I lived in Fresno/Clovis for 28 years--never had anything stolen or had a home broken into. My parents have lived there for 42 years--never had anything stolen or had a home broken into. Never lived in an area where I couldn't walk down the street or anything like that. In fact, I lived near the trail system where people were out and about all the time using the trail for recreation and to walk to shopping, etc.

Be smart--don't leave stuff in your car, keep your car locked, keep your house locked. Keep your wits about you. Don't be naive. That's all just common sense. I'd look into the better parts of town, of course. 93720, 93730 for Fresno. Most of 93611 and 93619 for Clovis.

[DMenscha]

Stick to Huron.

[FresnoFriend]

Originally Posted by Ca716

From some things I read here Fresno isn't as bad as people make it out to be but some people really scare me with their comments regarding it. I am planning on moving to Fresno county hopefully Clovis if I can find a home in my budget around June. I'm from St. Louis and we have a horrible reputation however, I live in St. Louis county and if I forget to lock a door or leave something outside I don't have to worry about it being stolen. I can walk down my street without worrying about getting killed or anything like that. An I live 4 miles away from the city of St. Louis which is pretty dangerous but people pretty much stay in their zone if that makes any sense. I wonder if Fresno is like that or if I'm making a huge mistake. I pretty much chose Fresno because of the lower rent cost but Clovis school district. Any advice on this area? I plan on visiting the areas at least twice before the move just looking for all insight.

Thanks,
Nichole

I have been living in Fresno for 20 years and that only thing that has happend to me is my car got broke in in the River Park Shooping center. Other than that i havent had any problems. I live in the Sunnyside area of Fresno which i will recommend. Does not have a lot of shopping of restaurant options but is safe and more affordable than Clovis or North East Fresno.

[WizardOfRadical]

Fresno memes, google it. That's all I am gonna say.

[BeauCharles]

I've got lots of family in Fresno who've been there all their lives. My aunt had a house burglarized in the 1970s while she was at work. A cousin had her car stolen from her place of work in the 1980s (recovered). I think that's it and this is cumulative from about a dozen people in my family over the four decades I've been alive to hear about it. No worse I would think that any other medium sized city and an extended family over that many years. I lived along the Fresno/Clovis line in the northern part of the metro and also in the older Tower District. I was out at all hours - again, no problems. Just have a little common sense take the precautions you'd take in any metro area. I think the main thing with cars is don't leave anything in sight, lock them and when you're home put it in the garage. Never understood why so many people use a perfectly good garage for a mini storage for a few hundred dollars worth of junk while leaving their cars in the driveway or street.

[Adriatica]

Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical

Fresno memes, google it. That's all I am gonna say.

Yes. Most decisions in life should absolutely be based on research conducted by looking at memes.

[indubioush]

The more you go north in Fresno, the safer it is. You will be the safest north of Herndon. Just look at the crime map on Trulia, and you will see which areas have the most crime. My sister got her house broken into a couple years ago. She was living near Bullard and Marks, which most people would consider a decent area. About 10 years ago, her Honda civic broke down, so she left it parked on a major street. Some thieves tried to steal it, but they could only drive about a half mile before it broke down again. My sister found the car in a different place than where she left it. Kind of funny.

There is a lot of theft in Fresno because there are many poor people who live there. There is also a lot of gang activity. If you choose to live there, I suggest you live north of Herndon. If you live south of Herndon, get a dog and a security system. I would not be too concerned about violent crime, but you will get your belongings stolen unless you take big steps to protect them.

If you would like to live close to Fresno, but not in Fresno, you can find cheap houses in Fowler, Selma, and Madera Ranchos. Those areas are all very safe, but a bit boring as well. If you would like to live in a city that is safe but still has some sort of culture and pretty good schools, I suggest Visalia. It is about 45 minutes south of Fresno. Personally, I think Clovis is a bit overrated. Yes, they have good schools, but that is pretty much all that Clovis has going for it.