Fortuna and Redding 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
Fortuna
Redding
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 12%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs36 · Bottom 26%
Climate
70 · Bottom 48%
vs59 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs13 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 22%
vs63 · Bottom 24%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Fortuna | Redding | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,326 | 93,409 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,289 | $70,466 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,685 | $38,911 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,347/sq mi | 1,571/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $379,700 | $382,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,168 | $1,379 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.1% | 54.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 36 | 94 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | -60.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 63°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.4" | 33.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 140 mi | 127 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 38.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.72 | 20.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.1% | 59.6% | 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
Fortuna
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Redding
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Fortuna, CA · Redding, CA · How this is calculated: methodology