95403 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93901
95403
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 25%
vs52 · Bottom 44%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
41 · Bottom 6%
vs43 · Bottom 8%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 42%
vs63 · Top 45%
Measured values
| Metric | 93901 | 95403 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,724 | 45,806 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,233 | $98,191 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,640 | $46,621 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,101/sq mi | 2,127/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $788,300 | $693,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,899 | $2,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.4% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 29.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 234 | 683 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 44.4% | 164.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 40.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.22 | 21.03 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.5% | 64.1% | 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
93901
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
95403
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 93901 — Salinas, CA · 95403 — Santa Rosa, CA · How this is calculated: methodology