Modesto is one of the top California cities where car crashes hit residents’ wallets hardest, according to a new study.
The study measured the median household income and fatal crash rate per 100,000 people of California’s 50 most populous cities. It was conducted by Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers and ranked Modesto the 10th most financially vulnerable city when it comes to crashes.
Under California law, the minimum bodily liability insurance is $30,000. However, a vehicle collision that causes injury costs $45,000, leaving at least a $15,000 gap for drivers to shoulder. A crash resulting in death can cost over $2 million, according to the nonprofit National Safety Council.
In the study, the Kuzyk law firm calculated the months of income lost to this financial gap for crashes in each city. Modesto has a median household income of $79,891, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, which translates to $6,658 a month. So, median Modesto drivers involved in a crash lose 2.25 months of income to this gap.
Modesto police process a traffic accident on McHenry Avenue in Modesto, May. 26, 2026. Andy Alfaro aalfaro@modbee.com
For comparison, a crash in Sunnyvale, where the median household income is $186,170, would consume 0.97 months of income.
The study combined this number with the fatal crash rate per 100,000 people to give each city a score out of 100. With a crash rate of 88.32, Modesto scored 68.13 out of 100. This placed it 10th, behind Fresno, Stockton and Sacramento. San Bernardino, Victorville and Lancaster topped the list. Modesto was the only ranked city in Stanislaus County.
In these cities, the median household income is below the 50-city average. The fatal crash rates are also higher than the average. This means that “residents least able to absorb financial shock are precisely those most likely to face one,” according to the study. Costly crashes could cause months of financial stress.
In addition to ranking 10th in the combined metric of lost income and fatal crash rate, Modesto also ranked as the fifth most financially vulnerable city. It was behind San Bernardino, Fresno, Victorville and Pomona in median household income.