Clovis started as nothing more than a piece of land owned by two separate farmers. Western movies always portray "the train coming through" as a sign of someone losing their farm, but in this case, the two farmers sold their land willingly. Clovis was built around this simple parcel of land, but don't be mistaken... you've still got a western town on your hands.
Clovis is a little piece of suburbia that still somehow manages to hang onto its historical western flair
Clovis started as nothing more than a piece of land owned by two separate farmers. Western movies always portray "the train coming through" as a sign of someone losing their farm, but in this case, the two farmers sold their land willingly. Clovis was built around this simple parcel of land, but don't be mistaken... you've still got a western town on your hands.
Clovis is a little piece of suburbia that still somehow manages to hang onto its historical western flair. The town has nearly 100,000 people in a 17.1 mile area, and while this may seem crowded, it's actually average. The average highs during the summer can climb to nearly 100 degrees, but the average lows for the same time of the year are only 70. This definitely gives residents some times to cool off. The town is full of educated people, so between the liveable weather and the knowledgeable conversations with the locals, anyone would be lucky to call Clovis home.
Clovis is a piece of 49er's gold that just so happens to be in the wrong century. In other words, it's really nice. It's usually difficult to sift through all the not-so-great places in an area when considering a move, but Clovis is just one hunk of serenity clumped into California. Renters make up about 35% of the population here, which is only about 5 points over the national average, and the vacancy rate is just a little over 5%. What does this tell you? Only that Clovis is a renter's paradise.
What's a Place Like Clovis Cost?
A place like Clovis could legitimately charge insane amounts for rental prices. It's just that good. Don't believe me? Go check it out. Seriously. Back? Well, rents have risen a little lately, but they're still a bargain for the area. And don't forget: prices can vary immensely between neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods have very affordable townhomes, while others offer luxury four bedroom houses for rent. Regardless of what you choose, you're getting a good deal, since the crime rate in Clovis has consistently stayed below both California and national averages.
Prepping For the Move
Since over one-third of residents of Clovis are renters, you can bet that you'll be welcome here. The vacancy rate is right in the sweet spot: not too low, which would make finding an apartment difficult, but definitely not so high as to signify that no one wants to live here. Come on now... everyone wants to live here. You should probably start calling around a couple months in advance just so you have a few ideas of what you'll need to do and how much time you'll need for the application process. Many people try to avoid summer move-in dates since the heat can be a little sweltering, but if you manage to move in around late September, you might just see the sun blotted out by the insane number of hot air balloons going up for ClovisFest.
What You'll Need
Clovis is a nice area with a good mix of both blue collar and white collar workers. These people, along with the numerous college graduates, didn't work this hard to move into a town that accepts anything but class. That's right... looking at you. This means you need to come ready to impress whatever landlord you happen to plop down in front of. Show them you really want the place by coming prepared with references, a credit check, and you might as well bring along that background check as well. Gun fights may have been the norm in the Old West, but that's one part that this western town thankfully shed. Come prepared to take the apartment if they're ready to offer it, and you might just end up with a fine residence, partna'!
If it's not obvious so far, Clovis doesn't have much in the way of "bad areas". Sure, some are worse than others, but the entire community is still safer than the rest of California and America. This leaves your choice in apartments to be based on price and personal preference. As stated earlier, the prices can vary greatly in this city. To help you out, the following neighborhoods are all rated with $ signs. Keep in mind that these ratings are relative to Clovis and not the rest of California or the nation. Some people have complained that a few of the neighborhoods have lost some of their "country" flair, but come on, what would you expect from a city that's going to continuously be a draw to new residents?
Friant: You know that one neighborhood in every city that you would just die to live in? In Clovis, that neighborhood is Friant. This is a large portion of northern Clovis and located very conveniently close to Clovis Botanical Gardens. This is where those white collar workers that were mentioned earlier live, and if you couldn't have guessed that from the Fort Washington Country Club being there... well, you got some homework to do. $$$$$
Southwest Clovis: Southwest Clovis, including the city center, is a large grouping of small neighborhoods, but they're all very similar in price and other aspects. This is likely due to their close proximity to each other. As mentioned, there are areas in Clovis that see more crime than others; southwest Clovis is that area. It's likely that the high property crime rate is directly attributable to this area, but luckily, even the violent crime rate remains low here. $$
Clotho: Clotho is another very low crime area, but it is a bit more affordable than its neighbor to the north, Friant. The neighborhood is by Lamonica Stadium and California Countrywood Park. All in all, this is a great place to raise a family for those who can afford it. $$$$
East Clovis (E Herndon and N Highland): East Clovis is right near Cedarwood Elementary School, and also (this is starting to sound like a broken record) has a low crime rate. The houses are spread out in this area and the population is less dense than other parts of Clovis. This is a great and safe place to live for those who can't afford the likes of Friant. $$$
Yearly Fun
-
While there's plenty to do in Clovis throughout the year, residents are usually on the edges of their seats waiting for ClovisFest. You can sit back and watch a ton of hot air balloons venture across the sky. Not your cup of tea? Well, head over to Old Town Clovis where they often have hundreds of food and craft booths set up.
-
Are you ready to rock??? Having had everyone from Elvis impersonators to the band Great White, the Clovis Music Festival is a long-running venture through the annals of rock 'n' roll. It often runs in early September. Missed it? Don't worry, it'll be back next year.
The Natural Wonder of it All
-
Get this... you'll literally only be about an hour away from Yosemite National Park. Yes, if that dormant supervolcano blows up, you'll be one of the first to go, but come on, what are the chances of that? You might want to knock on wood round about now.
-
Did you knock on wood? Well get ready to, because Sequoia National Park is also a little over an hour away. The General Sherman, which is the largest stem tree, at least by volume, in the world, resides in this forest.
Traveling around Clovis
-
The nearest interstate to Clovis is I-5, and it's definitely not a short drive. There are several state highways around, however, which make it easy for residents and visitors to get wherever they'd like to go.
-
Clovis has two transit lines that run through the city. Stageline runs on weekdays and has limited service on Saturday. The Round Up line is for disabled residents to call and schedule rides to specific destinations. That's a sweet service, right?
