93101 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93101
92054
Opportunity
70 · Top 20%
vs54 · Bottom 48%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 13%
vs8 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
28 · Bottom 2%
vs30 · Bottom 2%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs54 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | 93101 | 92054 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,554 | 38,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,148 | $82,408 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,028 | $47,250 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,854/sq mi | 5,143/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,184,000 | $908,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,250 | $1,979 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 22.9% | 39.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.3% | 39.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.0% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 62 | 506 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 87.9% | -46.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.3" | 11.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.6 min | 27.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.1 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.86 | 22.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 74.1% | 72.0% | 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
93101
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
92054
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93101 — Santa Barbara, CA · 92054 — Oceanside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology