Possible move to Porterville area (Visalia, Exeter: rentals, how much, job transfer)

[eeyore3305]

My husband is considering a job transfer to Porterville, CA. We were looking for any info on the area that may be helpful in considering a move. Would Porterville, Exeter or Springville be a better/safer area for young children? Our kids are 4 & 5 yrs old, are the schools good? Would also like to know if there are good preschools in the area and sporting activities for the kids: such as dance class, t-ball, ect. Also, would prefer to rent, at least at first to make sure we like the area, is it difficult to find rentals? Anyone know how much average rent is for a 3 bedroom place? Are there certain areas/locations of town that should be avoided? Any information you could provide would be wonderful, thank-you all in advance!

[Clarks]

Porterville is not a big town, it is in the Central Valley, hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk.

Springville is in the foothills, nicer. If you are outdoorsy, Camp Nelson, the Golden Trout Wilderness is nearby, and the upper Kern River.

[FresnoFacts]

Porterville is about 45,000 residents located in the citrus belt. Lots of orange groves. Most activities will be more family oriented while shopping might be limited to things like Target and WalMart.

Of the towns you named I think Exeter is the nicest followed by Porterville. But the commute from Exeter to Porterville would be mainly on 2 lane rural highways.

Elementary schools overall in all 3 towns are good, although none stand out as great. Nearly all score just a little above or a little below the California APR goal of 800.

Exeter (about 11,000 people) always seems to me to have more of the true small town feel than the other two. Another small citrus belt town, but it is only a few miles from Visalia which provides most major services in that part of the Valley. The Exeter downtown is clean and busy, with shops, restaurants, murals, etc.

Springville (about 2000 people) is in the foothills and more rural, nearly all housing would be on acreage. It might be tougher to find rentals there, although not impossible. It carries more a western or cowboy influence than the other two due to being closer to the cattle ranching in the foothills.

I've known past and current residents of Porterville, Springville and Exeter. While a different lifestyle for someone who might be used to urban living, if you are used to smaller towns you should adapt OK.