93436 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93454
93436
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 32%
vs46 · Bottom 32%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 17%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs55 · Bottom 17%
Access
94 · Top 47%
vs87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 38%
vs52 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | 93454 | 93436 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,896 | 55,820 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,522 | $80,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,471 | $33,734 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 100/sq mi | 245/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $525,000 | $504,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,856 | $1,653 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.3% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.3% | 18.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 387 | 189 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.7% | 440.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.3" | 13.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 29.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.9 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.92 | 20.60 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.1% | 71.5% | 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
93454
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, wildfire.
93436
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93454 — Santa Maria, CA · 93436 — Lompoc, CA · How this is calculated: methodology