93640 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93280
93640
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 7%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs70 · Bottom 48%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs12 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 21%
vs60 · Bottom 23%
Access
88 · Bottom 34%
vs77 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 12%
vs41 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 93280 | 93640 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,407 | 14,657 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,388 | $49,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,177 | $15,246 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 87/sq mi | 93/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,900 | $286,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,093 | $982 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.6% | 42.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 13.7% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.5% | 4.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.3% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | 14.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.4" | 10.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.6 min | 34.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.5 | 28.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.80 | 23.12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 89.8% | 97.7% | 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
93280
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
93640
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93280 — Wasco, CA · 93640 — Mendota, CA · How this is calculated: methodology