Athens receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Athens
Clearlake
Opportunity
32 · Bottom 8%
vs23 · Bottom 2%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs6 · Bottom 2%
Housing affordability
39 · Bottom 4%
vs39 · Bottom 4%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 6%
vs18 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Athens | Clearlake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,396 | 16,659 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $38,204 | $41,867 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,028 | $21,287 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,352/sq mi | 1,645/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $247,000 | $214,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,011 | $1,240 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 32.6% | 59.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.4% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.1% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 40.0% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 17 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -69.1% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.6" | 29.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 59 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.1 min | 31.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 21.6 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.24 | 24.16 | 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
Athens
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Clearlake
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Athens, OH · Clearlake, CA · How this is calculated: methodology