93101 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92054
93101
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 48%
vs70 · Top 20%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs35 · Bottom 24%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 3%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
30 · Bottom 2%
vs28 · Bottom 2%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 39%
vs58 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | 92054 | 93101 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,417 | 31,554 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,408 | $90,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,250 | $51,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,143/sq mi | 9,854/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $908,900 | $1,184,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,979 | $2,250 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 39.1% | 22.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.1% | 43.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 506 | 62 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.8% | 87.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.9" | 17.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 61 mi | 54 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.3 min | 18.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 33.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.35 | 16.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.0% | 74.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
92054
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
93101
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: 92054 — Oceanside, CA · 93101 — Santa Barbara, CA · How this is calculated: methodology