Auburn receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Auburn
Davis
Opportunity
62 · Top 37%
vs60 · Top 43%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
76 · Top 27%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 34%
vs28 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 11%
vs29 · Bottom 1%
Access
91 · Bottom 47%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Auburn | Davis | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,768 | 66,978 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,674 | $90,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,951 | $51,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,918/sq mi | 6,717/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $672,500 | $866,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,501 | $2,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.4% | 43.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.6% | 76.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 26.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 17 | 119 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 70.0% | 21.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.1" | 18.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.5 | 26.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.18 | 22.15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.5% | 32.0% | 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
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Davis
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Auburn, CA · Davis, CA · How this is calculated: methodology