Coachella and San Bernardino 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
Measured values
| Metric | Coachella | San Bernardino | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,307 | 222,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,596 | $67,415 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,991 | $25,328 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,448/sq mi | 3,586/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $367,600 | $422,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,144 | $1,508 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 50.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.9% | 5.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.5% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 18.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 78 | 102 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 239.1% | 126.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.0" | 9.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 31.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.4 | 32.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 79 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.49 | 21.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 80.4% | 91.3% | 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
Coachella
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, earthquake.
San Bernardino
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
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Full profiles: Coachella, CA · San Bernardino, CA · How this is calculated: methodology