93257 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92243
93257
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 7%
vs20 · Bottom 3%
Growth
41 · Bottom 35%
vs41 · Bottom 35%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 4%
vs14 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 25%
vs69 · Bottom 34%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 9%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 92243 | 93257 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,069 | 80,467 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,057 | $59,704 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,703 | $23,610 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 433/sq mi | 212/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $317,900 | $288,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,054 | $1,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.5% | 55.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 13.8% | 13.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.2% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 141 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.3% | -35.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 108°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 2.4" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 67 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.1 | 30.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.04 | 22.58 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.9% | 87.2% | 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
92243
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
93257
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, wildfire.
Full profiles: 92243 — El Centro, CA · 93257 — Porterville, CA · How this is calculated: methodology