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Modesto is located in Northern California's Central Valley. As one of the state's most productive agricultural areas, Modesto's primary products are milk, almonds, chickens and walnuts. Modesto is a stop on Amtrak routes between Oakland and Bakersfield, and between Sacramento and Bakersfield.
Renting in Modesto gives you easy access to the mountains and Wine Country. Modesto is about 50 miles from Gold Country, a historic region along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range famed for the mineral deposits and gold mines that sparked the Gold Rush in 1849. Sacramento, the state capitol, is 75 miles away. Other adventures within driving distance include Yosemite National Park and San Francisco, which are both about 90 miles away. Napa Valley is also within easy reach, at about 100 miles away. For entertainment closer to home, a rafting trip on the Stanislaus River or a day of golfing at one of Modesto's three golf courses could do the trick.
In Modesto, you'll face a more relaxed market than in the urban areas to its west. However, apartments for rent in Modesto are more costly than what you might assume for an agricultural area.