96019 and 95540 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
96019
95540
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 28%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Growth
35 · Bottom 25%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs70 · Top 50%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 39%
vs62 · Bottom 25%
Access
1 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 26%
vs41 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 96019 | 95540 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,350 | 14,469 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,446 | $63,695 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,578 | $35,239 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 536/sq mi | 425/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $294,600 | $389,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,298 | $1,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 56.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 26.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6 | 36 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -14.3% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 63°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.1" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 119 mi | 141 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.46 | 19.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.4% | 71.1% | 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
96019
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
95540
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 96019 — Shasta Lake, CA · 95540 — Fortuna, CA · How this is calculated: methodology