93420 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95476
93420
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs52 · Bottom 43%
Growth
35 · Bottom 26%
vs31 · Bottom 18%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 13%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 8%
vs46 · Bottom 9%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs89 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 26%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 95476 | 93420 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,196 | 31,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $105,374 | $110,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,472 | $53,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 327/sq mi | 159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $896,900 | $917,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,105 | $2,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 66.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -3.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.2% | 44.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.4% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 12.5% | -20.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 17.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 39 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 52.1 | 48.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.76 | 20.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 37.2% | 49.1% | 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
95476
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
93420
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 95476 — Sonoma, CA · 93420 — Arroyo Grande, CA · How this is calculated: methodology