Lincoln receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Davis
Lincoln
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs66 · Top 31%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
28 · Bottom 22%
vs44 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
29 · Bottom 1%
vs63 · Bottom 24%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 14%
vs59 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Davis | Lincoln | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,978 | 52,956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,045 | $111,990 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,329 | $53,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,717/sq mi | 2,159/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $866,100 | $651,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,187 | $2,090 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.5% | 83.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.8% | 40.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.5% | 6.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 119 | 598 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 21.4% | 38.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.0" | 18.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.8 min | 31.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.4 | 43.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.15 | 23.40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.0% | 34.8% | 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
Davis
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Lincoln
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Davis, CA · Lincoln, CA · How this is calculated: methodology