93901 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
93905
93901
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 11%
vs43 · Bottom 25%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs12 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 6%
vs41 · Bottom 6%
Access
73 · Bottom 14%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 30%
vs55 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | 93905 | 93901 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,898 | 29,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,126 | $91,233 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,831 | $40,640 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,915/sq mi | 3,101/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $616,100 | $788,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,850 | $1,899 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.7% | 43.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.4% | 29.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.5% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 234 | 234 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 44.4% | 44.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 71°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 12.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.8 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.51 | 22.22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.8% | 69.5% | 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
93905
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
93901
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: 93905 — Salinas, CA · 93901 — Salinas, CA · How this is calculated: methodology