Hollister and Brentwood 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
Hollister
Brentwood
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 25%
vs61 · Bottom 21%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Hollister | Brentwood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,811 | 65,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,834 | $142,494 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,015 | $55,793 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,503/sq mi | 4,387/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $717,500 | $836,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,914 | $2,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 82.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 39.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 136 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 5.4% | 28.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 15.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 46 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.2 min | 42.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.1 | 40.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.56 | 23.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.5% | 34.0% | 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
Hollister
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, drought, wildfire.
Brentwood
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Hollister, CA · Brentwood, CA · How this is calculated: methodology