Delano receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Delano
McFarland
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Growth
71 · Top 15%
vs74 · Top 11%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs15 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
88 · Bottom 37%
vs93 · Top 48%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 18%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Delano | McFarland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,679 | 14,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,010 | $54,608 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,847 | $17,492 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,512/sq mi | 2,243/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $301,900 | $272,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,199 | $1,131 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.8% | 56.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 22.8% | 8.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.3% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.0% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 197 | 106 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 7.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3.1% | 307.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.5" | 6.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 26.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.86 | 24.31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.5% | 85.3% | 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
Delano
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, earthquake.
McFarland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: Delano, CA · McFarland, CA · How this is calculated: methodology