95341 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92231
95341
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 8%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 13%
vs55 · Bottom 17%
Access
54 · Bottom 5%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 5%
vs40 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 92231 | 95341 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,621 | 36,385 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $49,742 | $57,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,587 | $19,180 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 563/sq mi | 248/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $313,400 | $334,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,092 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.2% | 38.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 28.4% | 7.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.9% | 9.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 331 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 3.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.3% | 8.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 108°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 2.4" | 11.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 53 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 29.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 26.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.99 | 21.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.1% | 78.5% | 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
92231
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
95341
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 92231 — Calexico, CA · 95341 — Merced, CA · How this is calculated: methodology