93204 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92311
93204
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 5%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Growth
33 · Bottom 22%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs69 · Bottom 47%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs13 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 49%
vs78 · Bottom 46%
Access
66 · Bottom 9%
vs63 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 11%
vs33 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | 92311 | 93204 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,954 | 13,657 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,862 | $55,079 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,931 | $13,035 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 80/sq mi | 193/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $246,400 | $228,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,105 | $1,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.0% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 8.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 2.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 105°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.8" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 62 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 32.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.76 | 22.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.3% | 95.3% | 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
92311
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
93204
Elevated or high exposure: drought, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 92311 — Barstow, CA · 93204 — Avenal, CA · How this is calculated: methodology