Galt vs Rancho Cordova

Which is the better fit for you?

Galt, CA
57
Area Score
Bottom 44% nationally
Rancho Cordova, CA
59
Area Score
Top 49% nationally

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Rancho Cordova receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Galt to Rancho Cordova

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 109.1 against 109.1 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$1,430 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $3,380 in Rancho Cordova against $1,950 in Galt.
The median home
2% less
$477,600 in Rancho Cordova against $487,500 in Galt.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 41°F in Rancho Cordova against 39°F in Galt; July highs are 94°F against 93°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Galt
Rancho Cordova
Opportunity: Rancho Cordova is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs
45 · Bottom 26%
Growth: Galt is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
80 · Top 5%
vs
75 · Top 9%
Climate: Rancho Cordova is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
79 · Top 18%
vs
81 · Top 16%
Physical resilience: Rancho Cordova is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs
63 · Top 45%
Housing affordability: Rancho Cordova is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 23%
vs
56 · Bottom 29%
Schools: Galt is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
37 · Bottom 33%
vs
29 · Bottom 24%
Access: Rancho Cordova is the more favorable of the two.
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs
99 · Top 10%
Economic stability: Galt is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
61 · Top 44%
vs
53 · Bottom 41%

Measured values

MetricGaltRancho CordovaSource period
Population25,96281,8492024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$94,393 ±$14,217$89,585 ±$6,2612024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$38,794 ±$3,277$38,928 ±$1,4962024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,317/sq mi2,368/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$487,500$477,6002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,596 — more favorable$1,7872024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,950 — more favorable$3,380FY2026
Cost of living index109.1109.12023
Homeownership rate77.0%58.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.2%5.1% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.1%−2.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher21.4%32.1% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate7.6% — more favorable11.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)31796112 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents12.2 — more favorable11.712 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+47.4% — more favorable−1.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high93°F94°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low39°F41°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation18.1"19.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport26 mi11 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute32.0 min28.0 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age38.336.02024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools10252024-25 school year
Students per teacher22.220.4 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency36.1% — more favorable33.2%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency52.8% — more favorable48.3%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility54.0%61.2%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.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Galt

Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.

Rancho Cordova

Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Galt
—
Galt: Your Score
57
Area Score
Rancho Cordova
—
Rancho Cordova: Your Score
59
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Galt, CA · Rancho Cordova, CA · How this is calculated: methodology