93555 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93555
92251
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 43%
vs40 · Bottom 21%
Growth
43 · Bottom 38%
vs37 · Bottom 29%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
14 · Bottom 10%
vs8 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 36%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs34 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | 93555 | 92251 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,845 | 27,454 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,700 | $90,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,499 | $27,511 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 433/sq mi | 111/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $252,900 | $368,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,182 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 70.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 17.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.2% | 18.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 13.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 46 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.5% | -37.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 105°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.7" | 5.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 21.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.9 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.14 | 22.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.8% | 56.1% | 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
93555
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
92251
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 93555 — Ridgecrest, CA · 92251 — Imperial, CA · How this is calculated: methodology