When you live in a city, it’s easy to lose sight of what makes a place great. If you don’t know a city, you have the same problem but for a different reason. For both audiences, we have put together this high level overview of Fresno extolling its virtues and outlining what makes it such a great place to live and work.
The Californian Climate
Fresno enjoys approximately 300 days of pure sunshine each year. It’s what makes the area so amazing for agriculture and tourism alike. In summer, you can expect temperatures around 90 degrees, with highs over 100. In winter, it averages around 30 degrees, with lows down to 17.
While sunshine dominates our climate, we also get a healthy amount of rain, helping to keep gardens green and crops growing. We get around 45 days a year of rain, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when between 1 and 2 inches of rain falls at a time, we get plenty wet enough for our liking!
Agriculture in Fresno
The irrigation canals built by the first people who settled here has ensured a rich and fertile land from which to grow much of what our nation puts on its plate. With the exception of Salinas, we are one of the largest, most fruitful agricultural regions in the country and grow over 250 types of crop and meat products.
Agriculture is a big employer here and represents the largest single industry in the region. From farms, picking, packing, to meat factories, canning and supplementary industries, it is the land that keeps us fed, paid and watered here.
Employment in Fresno
While we do have unemployment like many other cities, our levels are much lower than average. That’s thanks to the needs of the land and plentiful jobs in picking and packing. Major employers in Fresno include healthcare, the city administration, Foster Farms, Zacky Farms, and a number of smaller enterprises.
There isn’t much high tech here like there is in other parts of California, which helps us sidestep the “boom-bust” economics of much of the rest of our state. Whatever the condition of the economy, people still have to eat, which means Fresno still works hard to deliver.
Living in Fresno
Living in Fresno, either permanently or temporarily is a positive experience. With the climate, high employment and plenty to do, the city has all the trappings of modern life but with typical Californian friendliness.
Real estate is sensibly priced, it’s easy to get around and there are plenty of leisure options all year round. If you can find work, Fresno is a great place to live if you want to avoid the stress and strain of modern city life.