93454 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93454
95695
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 32%
vs42 · Bottom 23%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs33 · Bottom 23%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs75 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 17%
vs28 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs56 · Bottom 18%
Access
94 · Top 47%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 38%
vs61 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 93454 | 95695 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,896 | 37,702 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,522 | $79,486 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,471 | $42,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 100/sq mi | 259/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $525,000 | $547,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,856 | $1,510 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.3% | 54.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.3% | 27.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 9.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 387 | 48 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.7% | -53.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.3" | 18.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.9 | 37.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
95695
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93454 — Santa Maria, CA · 95695 — Woodland, CA · How this is calculated: methodology