Coalinga receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Coalinga
Madera
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 17%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Growth
36 · Bottom 25%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs70 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs57 · Bottom 17%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs41 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Coalinga | Madera | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,203 | 67,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,451 | $63,933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,315 | $24,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,561/sq mi | 3,442/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $262,400 | $359,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,093 | $1,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.6% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 7.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 10.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.7% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 123 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 300.0% | -7.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 10.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 30.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.90 | 19.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 76.8% | 88.1% | 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.
Madera
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, heat wave.
Full profiles: Coalinga, CA · Madera, CA · How this is calculated: methodology