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Area Guide

Downtown Modesto Modesto, CA

Vibrant. Artistic. Modesto.

Historic Arts Culture

The artistic Downtown Modesto is a historic neighborhood filled with bistros, art galleries, boutiques, and more. This trendy area is very walkable and bicycle-friendly with wide sidewalks and a variety of bikeways. A variety of events and festivals are held downtown, including outdoor movies, Music in the Plaza, the International Heritage Festival, Modesto's Classic Comic Con, and the monthly First Firiday Street Faire.

While much of Modesto's historic buildings were torn down during redevelopment in the 1960s, a few remain, including the McHenry Mansion, Modesto's only remaining Victoria Home. The mansion was built in 1883 and currently operates as a house museum. The McHenry Museum is located at the corner of 14th Street and 1st Street. Downtown Modesto apartments are ideal for those who enjoy a terrific dining scene, with more than 50 restaurants in its 10-block radius. The nightlife is popular, as well, with the Fat Cat Music House and Lounge, the historic State Theater, the Gallo Center for the Arts, and the Modesto Symphony Orchestra to enjoy.

Rent Trends

As of July 2026, the average apartment rent in Downtown Modesto is $753 for a studio, $800 for one bedroom, $1,056 for two bedrooms, and $988 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Downtown Modesto has increased by 1.5% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 341 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $753/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 466 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $800/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 696 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,056/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 0 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $988/month

    Average Rent

Learn More About Downtown Modesto

Getting Around

Fairly Walkable

Walkability

50 / 100

Strong Public Transit

Transit

80 / 100

Exceptionally Drivable

Drivability

100 / 100

Fairly Bikeable

Bikeability

40 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 5 Minute Walk

Groceries

90 / 100

Exceptional Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

90 / 100

Great Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

80 / 100

Great Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

80 / 100

Recreation

Large Amount of Park Space Nearby

Parks

70 / 100

Fair Wellness Amenity Variety Nearby

Wellness

40 / 100

Local Vibe

Mostly Calm Atmosphere

Vibrancy

30 / 100

Great Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

80 / 100

Points of Interest

Top Apartments in Downtown Modesto

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in June 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.