Daly City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Berkeley
Daly City
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
38 · Bottom 28%
vs52 · Top 48%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 5%
vs39 · Bottom 4%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 18%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Berkeley | Daly City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 120,257 | 101,964 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,092 | $123,547 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $69,534 | $50,863 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 11,528/sq mi | 13,329/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,413,900 | $1,115,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,133 | $2,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.2% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 74.9% | 38.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.3% | 7.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 373 | 240 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.9% | 990.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 66°F | 66°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 22.9" | 22.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 31.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.2 | 42.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.32 | 21.01 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 28.2% | 45.6% | 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
Berkeley
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Daly City
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Berkeley, CA · Daly City, CA · How this is calculated: methodology