I Live in America’s Worst Ranked City: Modesto, California

Yesterday I opened my newspaper to find out that I live in the worst ranked city in the nation. I knew that Modesto, California probably wasn’t one of the best cities in the nation, but to be ranked number 373 out of 373 cities judged in Cities Ranked and Rated, Second Edition, was definitely a surprise to me. But despite the low ranking, I’m not planning on leaving my home anytime soon.

Cities Ranked and Rated judges cities on areas such as economy, jobs, cost of living, climate, education, housing affordability, commute times, health care, arts and culture, crime, transportation, leisure, and overall quality of life. Cities received a ranking of 1-10 in each category and Modesto received a ranking of zero in every category.

I figure there are several reasons why Modesto was ranked below other similar cities in California’s Central Valley, such as Merced and Visalia. The first reason is that Modesto still has one of the worst car theft rates in the nation. But I can tell you where and when not to park your car in Modesto to greatly reduce your chances of having your car stolen. You probably wouldn’t even need a local to tell you that, just your own common sense. Higher home prices and worse traffic conditions also put Modesto below other Central Valley towns.

What Cities Ranked and Rated doesn’t tell you is what a city is attempting to become. While Modesto ranked a zero in health care. One huge Kaiser Hospital is being constructed and is near completion and another hospital Memorial is also nearly finished with its construction as it expands. In the arts and culture category, the new Gallo Arts Center is also under construction in downtown Modesto. Modesto’s Downtown in an ongoing process of being renovated and every year new restaurants and shops are being opened.

While there isn’t much inside the city of Modesto to push it up in the rankings for leisure, Modesto is so well located in Central California that the Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Delta, Pacific Ocean, and San Francisco Bay Area are within an hour and a half drive. Not to mention that Modesto is one of the closest metropolitan areas to Yosemite National Park. I know many people who live in Modesto and love to go places on the weekend say they wouldn’t live anywhere else because of its central location to so many diverse places to visit. Modesto residents can snow ski one weekend and go to the beach the next. How many other places in the United States can someone do that?

Modesto does have areas for improvement, and hopefully their low ranking in Cities Ranked and Rated will inspire city officials and residents to work toward building a better community.