Coalinga and Imperial 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
Coalinga
Imperial
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 17%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
36 · Bottom 25%
vs39 · Bottom 31%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs89 · Top 34%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs60 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs47 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Coalinga | Imperial | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,203 | 21,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,451 | $90,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,315 | $29,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,561/sq mi | 3,398/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,400 | $360,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,093 | $1,255 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.6% | 69.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 17.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 22.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.7% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 300.0% | -37.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 108°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 2.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 64 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 20.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 31.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.90 | 22.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 76.8% | 56.1% | 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
Coalinga
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Imperial
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Coalinga, CA · Imperial, CA · How this is calculated: methodology