92081 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92081
92056
Opportunity
60 · Top 38%
vs58 · Top 43%
Growth
31 · Bottom 19%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 3%
vs8 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
38 · Bottom 5%
vs38 · Bottom 5%
Access
66 · Bottom 9%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
71 · Top 29%
vs74 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 92081 | 92056 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,002 | 53,616 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $105,379 | $106,272 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,711 | $48,025 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,248/sq mi | 4,356/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $838,600 | $773,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,454 | $2,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 68.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.3% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 5.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 113 | 506 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.4% | -46.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 74°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.4" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 62 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.3 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 40.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.75 | 23.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.9% | 57.2% | 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
92081
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
92056
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 92081 — Vista, CA · 92056 — Oceanside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology