93420 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93442
93420
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 40%
vs52 · Bottom 43%
Growth
29 · Bottom 15%
vs31 · Bottom 18%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 7%
vs46 · Bottom 9%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs89 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 18%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 93442 | 93420 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,571 | 31,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $95,623 | $110,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,155 | $53,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 260/sq mi | 159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $918,700 | $917,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,855 | $2,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 66.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.2% | -3.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.8% | 44.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 13 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -40.9% | -20.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.9" | 17.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 54.5 | 48.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.58 | 20.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.5% | 49.1% | 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
93442
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
93420
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93442 — Morro Bay, CA · 93420 — Arroyo Grande, CA · How this is calculated: methodology