95020 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
94954
95020
Opportunity
58 · Top 44%
vs64 · Top 31%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 13%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 7%
vs58 · Bottom 20%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs85 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
72 · Top 26%
vs75 · Top 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 94954 | 95020 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,574 | 67,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $113,527 | $137,117 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,466 | $51,387 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 604/sq mi | 443/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $840,500 | $1,059,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,554 | $2,286 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 63.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 28.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 225 | 152 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 177.8% | 56.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 22.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 36.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.3 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.64 | 23.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.5% | 50.8% | 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
94954
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
95020
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 94954 — Petaluma, CA · 95020 — Gilroy, CA · How this is calculated: methodology