Hanford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hanford
Avenal
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs42 · Bottom 36%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
14 · Bottom 9%
vs14 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 43%
vs77 · Bottom 44%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs68 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Hanford | Avenal | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,754 | 13,608 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,461 | $54,741 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,147 | $13,022 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,333/sq mi | 698/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $349,400 | $228,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,309 | $1,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 8.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 2.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 19.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 420 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.1" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 38.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.5 | 32.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.89 | 21.79 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.9% | 88.9% | 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
Hanford
Elevated or high exposure: drought, heat wave, earthquake.
Avenal
Elevated or high exposure: drought, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: Hanford, CA · Avenal, CA · How this is calculated: methodology