93505 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93505
93203
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 10%
vs26 · Bottom 6%
Growth
44 · Bottom 40%
vs39 · Bottom 33%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs15 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 26%
vs54 · Bottom 16%
Access
99 · Top 16%
vs90 · Bottom 40%
Economic stability
24 · Bottom 4%
vs40 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | 93505 | 93203 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,353 | 20,712 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,827 | $49,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,965 | $16,373 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 221/sq mi | 120/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $278,000 | $264,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,300 | $1,122 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.4% | 53.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.8% | 8.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.6% | 5.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.9% | 33.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.8% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.8" | 6.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 42.7 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.5 | 25.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.21 | 23.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.2% | 94.9% | 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
93505
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
93203
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 93505 — California City, CA · 93203 — Arvin, CA · How this is calculated: methodology