to
Update
is the county seat of Stanislaus County, California, United States. As of January 1, 2009 the estimated population is 210,174. Modesto is the principal city of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes all of Stanislaus County. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 446,997. A July 1, 2008 estimate placed the population at 510,694. Its population has boomed for the last decade, becoming the sixteenth largest city in the state and the sixth largest inland city in the state behind Stockton, Bakersfield, Riverside, Sacramento, and Fresno. The proximity to major business centers has turned the agriculturally based city into a bedroom community. Over twenty percent of the workforce travels outside of the county to their place of employment. The area is plagued by some of the worst air quality in the nation, on occasion surpassing even that of Los Angeles. Modesto had the highest auto theft per capita rate in the United States five of the last six years. Its suburbs are among the most impoverished in the nation, ranking sixth poorest out of the 100 largest metro areas. It is a major meth distribution hub and was considered for many years to be the "Methamphetamine Capital of the World." In 2007, Modesto was named last in a list of best American cities in Cities Ranked & Rated, 2nd Edition Number 23 on the top 400 most dangerious metropolitan areas in 2007 Morgan Quitno (it ranked 16th in 2006 and 39th in 2008). In 2009, Forbes Magazine ranked Modesto the worst metro area with over 500,000 residents just months after placing it 5th on the list of most miserable American cities.
Modesto has cool, wet winters and very warm, dry summers. Typical of the Central Valley, the community often has dense grown fog during the winter months.
Average January temperatures are a maximum of 53.7°F and a minimum of 37.6°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 94.2°F and a minimum of 59.9°F. There are an average of 80.0 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 20.3 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature of 113°F was on July 23, 2006. The record low temperature of 18°F occurred on December 13, 1932, and January 11, 1949.
Average annual rainfall is 12.22 inches, falling on an average of 51 days annually. The summer months are usually very dry except for rare thunderstorms. The wettest year was 1983 with 27.39 inches of rain and the dryest year was 1929 with 5.70 inches of rain. The most rain in one month was 8.80 inches in February 1988. The most rain in 24 hours was 2.72 inches on March 4, 1978. Snow is very rare in Modesto, but 1.5 inches fell on January 21, 1962.