Vista receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
El Cajon
Vista
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs34 · Bottom 23%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
22 · Bottom 1%
vs37 · Bottom 3%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 26%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | El Cajon | Vista | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,449 | 99,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,511 | $94,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,254 | $42,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,198/sq mi | 5,225/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $681,700 | $762,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,856 | $2,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.5% | 51.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 29.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 10.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 249 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.6% | -35.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 74°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 48°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 11.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.8 min | 29.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 35.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.78 | 20.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.3% | 71.1% | 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
El Cajon
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Vista
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: El Cajon, CA · Vista, CA · How this is calculated: methodology