92234 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92234
92308
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 19%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
40 · Bottom 33%
vs35 · Bottom 25%
Climate
57 · Bottom 7%
vs67 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 14%
vs54 · Bottom 16%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs92 · Bottom 46%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 23%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 92234 | 92308 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,267 | 42,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,572 | $66,568 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,551 | $30,478 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,540/sq mi | 414/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $453,100 | $383,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,601 | $1,474 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.5% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 16.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 18.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 74 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -48.6% | -23.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.6" | 7.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 23 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 40.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.1 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.10 | 23.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 95.2% | 70.3% | 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
92234
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
92308
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 92234 — Cathedral City, CA · 92308 — Apple Valley, CA · How this is calculated: methodology