Hesperia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hesperia
Palmdale
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 14%
vs54 · Bottom 13%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 25%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Hesperia | Palmdale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,775 | 164,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,160 | $81,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,265 | $29,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,387/sq mi | 1,552/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $409,000 | $471,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,590 | $1,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.9% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 354 | 472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.4% | 391.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.8" | 5.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 43.2 min | 41.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.7 | 33.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.33 | 24.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.8% | 73.4% | 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
Hesperia
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Hesperia, CA · Palmdale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology