Goleta receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Goleta
Gilroy
Opportunity
75 · Top 15%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs62 · Top 29%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 13%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 6%
vs56 · Bottom 16%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs85 · Bottom 29%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Goleta | Gilroy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,685 | 59,004 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $122,370 | $133,107 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $56,285 | $48,965 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,163/sq mi | 3,568/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,062,100 | $1,027,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,437 | $2,301 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.4% | 29.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 272 | 152 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1600.0% | 56.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.3" | 22.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 47 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 35.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.82 | 23.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.9% | 50.8% | 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
Goleta
Elevated or high exposure: landslide, drought, earthquake.
Gilroy
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Goleta, CA · Gilroy, CA · How this is calculated: methodology