93117 and 93401 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
93117
93401
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs61 · Top 37%
Growth
71 · Top 15%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 13%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 3%
vs42 · Bottom 7%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs85 · Bottom 29%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 24%
vs54 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | 93117 | 93401 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,934 | 29,202 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,037 | $96,824 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,336 | $62,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 315/sq mi | 455/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,082,400 | $973,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,054 | $1,912 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.1% | 47.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -3.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.6% | 55.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.3% | 15.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 272 | 220 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1600.0% | 20.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.0" | 17.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 18.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 23.5 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.82 | 22.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.9% | 36.6% | 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
93117
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
93401
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93117 — Goleta, CA · 93401 — San Luis Obispo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology