Bakersfield vs Fresno

[JohnnyRockers]

Well I actually live in Madera Ranchos (although spend most of my time in Fresno).

Madera Ranchos is a nice community (good schools, low crime) and is not bad of a commute (10-15 mins to Riverpark, which is the Northernmost area of Fresno and is a nice shopping/residential area that is very popular).

To commute to Central/Downtown Fresno would roughly be 20-25 minutes. It may, however, be more depending on how far East/West your workplace is; the reason for this is because Northern Fresno and Central Fresno don't have access to a East/West freeway (only Downtown/Southern Fresno area do).

As for communities in Fresno, I would definitely recommend Clovis or Northern Fresno. Clovis is a town bordering East Fresno and has, generally, quick access to the freeways (so the commute to anywhere in Fresno wouldn't be too bad).

Stay away from Southern, Southeastern, and West Fresno; a lot of those areas are high in gang activity and, subsequently, crime.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to contact me

[Everest209]

Can you really choose Fresno when the only good place to live (Clovis) isn't even Fresno? Isn't that like saying the best place to live in San Jose is Santa Clara?

[Salpointe59]

I choose Bakersfield. Good school district. Great Junior College in BC, Good U Cal system for University level.
2 hours to L A and it's activities. 2 hours or so to Monterery.
Live near B C in affordable nice homes.

[mostie]

Work in Fresno, live in Kingsburg. Small, nice little town 20 miles away. I lived in Fresno for years, but was born and raised in Kingsburg. Most people who live there work either in Visalia or Fresno, and Kingsburg is a very decent bedroom community.

[FresnoFacts]

This might be useful about Fresno.

A college intern from Dallas who spent this summer here wrote her observations about life in the area. Its the view from an outsider who spent a few months here.
http://fresnobeehive.com/2011/07/an_outsiders_ta.html (broken link)

[MtnSurfer]

The answer to your question will depend more on you, your expenses, type of housing, job skills, ambitions, etc... than Fresno itself. As a recent HS grad (I'm assuming) your whole life is ahead of you. This includes time to begin serious training/education in a particular profession.

Do you plan to:
* Go to college full-time?
* Work full-time?
* What type of work experience do you have? What type of job do you hope to find?
* Live with roomates which is the most affordable option at this age?
* Live like a starving student for the next 4+ years?
* Do you have financial help from others sources (parents, etc...)?
* What are you used to and what are your expectations?
* Most young people these days consider their iPhone/smart phone as impotant as their food bills. What expenses do you have (e.g. car to get to school/work, insurance, iPhone, etc...)?

The primary cost differentiator between Fresno and other places including the rest of the nation is housing. In relation to the rest of the state Fresno is pretty reasonable. Check Craigslist for rooms for rent.

I recommend adding up all your normal expenses you have regardless of the area you live, then factor in housing seperately and you will have your answer. Once you create a basic budget you can use that with any town you move to.

Derek