92648 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92648
92870
Opportunity
61 · Top 36%
vs57 · Top 46%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs28 · Bottom 14%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 8%
vs46 · Bottom 9%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs95 · Top 39%
Economic stability
77 · Top 17%
vs72 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | 92648 | 92870 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,827 | 52,826 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,164 | $115,929 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $77,180 | $48,006 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,704/sq mi | 7,850/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,239,500 | $921,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,472 | $2,388 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.5% | 63.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.5% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.3% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 322 | 53 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.9% | -59.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.2" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.5 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.70 | 22.87 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.0% | 52.3% | 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
92648
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
92870
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 92648 — Huntington Beach, CA · 92870 — Placentia, CA · How this is calculated: methodology