With a population of just over 145,000 Visalia, located in the San Joaquin Valley, is California’s 40th most populous city and growing year over year. “There are a ton of jobs coming to Visalia because major companies like Amazon want distribution sites along Highway 99,” says Jayne Willis of Real Estate by Design, who has been selling homes in Visalia since 2009. “Highway 99 is the backbone to a lot of travel in California, and from Visalia, you’re three hours from San Francisco, three hours to Los Angeles and even less to the Central Coast. While logistics jobs are driving new faces to Visalia, the city is still reliant on the medical field and agriculture for much of its industry. One of Visalia’s largest employers is the Kaweah Delta Medical Center, which is a 613-bed, Level III Trauma Center. Agriculture continues to play a major role in Visalia’s economy as well. “Ag isn’t just picking fruit off a tree,” says Willis. “We have massive distribution centers shipping our dairy products all over the world.”
Find suburban homes nestled in between orange orchards and the foothills of Tulare County.
Two Northeast Visalia friends meet up every morning to ride along the St. Johns River.
Taste the freshness from Tulare County’s bountiful and local fruit orchards.
Kaweah Health Medical Center provides great services to Visalia residents.
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Sequoia National Park and ImagineU Children's Museum
Visalia is home to 38 parks and trails for plenty of recreation. The Riverway Sports Complex on the north side of the city has large baseball, softball, and soccer complexes for youth sporting events. All 130-plus acres of Mooney Grove Park were donated by Hugh Mooney in 1909; today the park includes an 18-hole disc golf course, a fishing lagoon and plenty of walking paths and picnic areas. For adventure outside the city limits, Visalia is 45 miles from hiking and mountain biking trails at Sequoia National Park and 20 miles from boating, fishing and camping at Lake Kaweah. “There’s so much to do in Visalia but having Sequoia National Park so close is really special,” says Brenna Keck of Wendy Little Properties, who has over a decade of experience in Visalia. “It’s under an hour's drive and really feels like it’s in our backyard.” The ImagineU Children’s Museum in downtown Visalia features interactive exhibits to promote problem-solving and creativity in agriculture and scientific fields. Since 1946, the Visalia Rawhide Minor League Baseball team has played at downtown’s Valley Strong Ballpark; the team is the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Visalia residents enjoy the short trip to visit the giant Redwood trees in the Sequoias.
Residents of Southeast Visalia enjoy a quick game of disc golf at Seven Oaks Park.
Two mothers from North Visalia enjoy swinging with their young daughters.
Several local Visalia businesses contribute to the ImagineU Children's Museum near the Oval.
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Dining in downtown Visalia
Visalia’s downtown district has a vibrant dining scene, with dozens of restaurants scattered along Main Street. “Downtown Visalia is really cute,” says Keck. “It’s packed with little restaurants and shops, and we try to eat and buy local when possible.” Options include everything from Mediterranean to Asian fare, but most restaurants serve Latin and Mexi-Cali cuisine. Downtown also has half a dozen breweries, as well as wineries serving California varietals. Shoppers can find boutique clothing, jewelry and gift shops. Vintage comic book shops and record stores are found along North Court and South Locust Streets, and the Visalia Mall has big box stores like Macy’s, JCPenney and other retailers.
Crawdaddy's in downtown Visalia is a popular nightlife destination for Washington residents.
Downtown Visalia customers are treated to the fine cuisine at El Tarasco Restaurant.
The newly opened Mission Coffee in Downtown Visalia offers drinks and treats.
Grab one of your favorite beers at Sequoia Brewing Company in Downtown Visalia.
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Home trends and the Visalia Unified School District
The median price for a single-family home in Visalia is $420,000 as of December 2024, a 22% increase over three years and a 58% increase over the past five years. “We’re really the last affordable market in California. As more people keep coming into Visalia, property values are likely to continue to increase,” says Keck. “The Greenacres neighborhood and others near Visalia Country Club continue to be the most sought after, but a lot of people are moving to the northwest side of town as new developments go up there.” Kids in Visalia attend the Visalia Unified School District, which serves nearly 30,000 students. The district earned a B-plus grade on Niche and was named by the service as the third-best school district in Tulare County. Redwood High School stands out as the only public high school in the district to earn an A grade. Visalia is also home to College of the Sequoias, a public, two-year community college offering degrees in the fields of Agriculture, Cosmetology and many more.
Northwest Visalia has several gated communities including one with a man-made lake.
New two-story town houses in Shannon Ranch have small front yards and solar panels.
Graduates of College of Sequoias in Mooney can move on to pursue careers or higher education.
Redwood High School is Northwest Visalia's oldest high school, established in 1910.
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Growth on the northwest side of Visalia
As population rises, new shopping and dining options have sprung up as well. “They’re building a lot, especially on the northwest side,” says Keck. “They just opened a new Costco on that side of town so we’re a two-Costco town now, which is huge for us.” Visalia has created incentives to entice businesses to come to town, including tax breaks for building in certain areas of the city and for hiring California residents. In some cases, Visalia also provides no-cost employee recruitment assistance.
Peruse the handcrafted gifts and clothing at Joshua Tree in Downtown Visalia.
A Washington mother and her daughter shop Simply Chic for something unique.
Mooney residents enjoy shopping the fresh produce of the newly opened Sprouts.
Southeast Visalia friends have a tough time choosing at Goodies Cookies & Cakes.
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Crime report
According to reports from the Visalia Police Department, property and violent crime in Visalia is slightly above the California and national averages. In addition, violent crime saw a slight uptick in 2023, while property crime decreased. The department has implemented events like National Night Out and Coffee with a Cop to help boost relationships between the police and the community.
Hot temperatures in the summer
Locals can hop on Visalia Transit buses for transportation around the city. Dial-a-Ride on-demand services are also available. The city is located right along Highway 99, which allows residents to travel 43 miles northwest to Fresno, or 80 miles south to Bakersfield. Visalia does not have a commercial airport, so travelers will have to fly out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport, 48 miles away. Visalia experiences extreme heat in the summer months with the temperature regularly topping out at over 100 degrees. In addition, the city’s surrounding farmland causes more days with poor air quality than the national average.
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