93555 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92251
93555
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 21%
vs51 · Bottom 43%
Growth
37 · Bottom 29%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 4%
vs14 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
64 · Bottom 8%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 12%
vs52 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | 92251 | 93555 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,454 | 33,845 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,709 | $86,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,511 | $43,499 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 111/sq mi | 433/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $368,700 | $252,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,242 | $1,182 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.2% | 62.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 17.6% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.0% | 30.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.5% | 4.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 105°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 5.1" | 4.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 58 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 18.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 34.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.61 | 21.14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 56.1% | 57.8% | 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
92251
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
93555
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 92251 — Imperial, CA · 93555 — Ridgecrest, CA · How this is calculated: methodology