Benicia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Benicia
Vallejo
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs28 · Bottom 15%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 17%
vs47 · Bottom 8%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Benicia | Vallejo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,749 | 124,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $121,204 | $90,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,686 | $42,240 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,088/sq mi | 4,083/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $810,000 | $589,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,280 | $2,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.6% | 28.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 140.0% | -71.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.1" | 20.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.4 min | 36.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.73 | 23.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 23.5% | 75.7% | 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
Benicia
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Vallejo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Benicia, CA · Vallejo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology