Flip the Script is a Bee series that challenges negative stereotypes, with the help of readers, by highlighting Fresno’s remarkable assets and culture. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.
Fresno keeps landing on unflattering national lists. The latest: A real estate company’s ranking of the city as the 36th least desirable city, of the nation’s 50 largest. The ranking said we were one of the most boring and least friendly cities, with more low marks for our scenery.
Does not really make sense. A closer look at the city’s culture, economy and residents tells a very different story. From award-winning poets to booming millennial homeownership, here’s the case for looking past the clichés.
Even in Clever Real Estate’s 2026 ranking this week that placed Fresno 36th among the least desirable U.S. cities, local realtors pushed back, noting the city is centrally located, culturally diverse and offers “significantly more home for your money” than other California metros.
Here are key takeaways 
Hikers crowd together to get a view of Vernal Fall on Yosemite National Park’s Mist Trail on a busy Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 23, 2026. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com Food Culture: Fresno punches well above its weight, with the Taco Truck Throwdown drawing more than 10,000 people and 25 trucks, and Dog House Grill smoking 400 to 700 cuts of tri-tip a day — signature dishes that give the city a distinct culinary identity.Home Values: Millennial homeownership in Fresno surged 104% between 2018 and 2023, growing from 24,384 to 49,742 households and ranking the city 12th nationally for millennial homebuying growth, driven by an average home value of $390,993 and strong income growth.Yosemite’s Front Porch: Fresno sits at the southern Sierra’s front doorstep, offering a convenient launch point for Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Yosemite lies roughly 60 miles north, while the neighboring giant-sequoia parks stretch east toward the mountains.Writers Abound: Fresno is home to a disproportionately large group of nationally acclaimed writers, including former U.S. poet laureates Philip Levine and Juan Felipe Herrera, with one Fresno State history professor calling the city “a cultural hotbed” overshadowed by San Francisco and Los Angeles.Expanding Economy: The city’s economy is expanding through new restaurants, retail and wellness businesses, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport opened a new passenger security checkpoint in April 2025 as part of a $150 million expansion project.Literary Scene: Fresno’s literary community has “expanded exponentially” over the past 25 years, with independent bookstores, the annual LitHop festival and the San Joaquin Valley Bookfest — which drew about 800 people this year — creating new space for writers of color, women writers and queer writers.Big Small Town: Longtime residents describe a community that pulls people in — photographer Steve Skibbie arrived from Oregon in 1987 planning a short stay and is still there nearly 40 years later, telling The Bee that newcomers “get sucked into the community”.Retirement Destination: Fresno ranked No. 4 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top places to retire in California, with a median monthly rent of $1,098 and easy access to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, according to the 2025 retirement rankings.
Original stories by Gagandeep Singh, Erik Galicia, Joshua Tehee, B.J. Anteola and Edward Simon Cruz.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 2:09 PM.