Imperial and Coalinga 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
Imperial
Coalinga
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs39 · Bottom 17%
Growth
39 · Bottom 31%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs13 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs95 · Top 21%
Access
60 · Bottom 7%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 26%
vs32 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Imperial | Coalinga | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,430 | 17,203 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,195 | $75,451 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,877 | $24,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,398/sq mi | 2,561/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $360,900 | $262,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,255 | $1,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 53.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 17.6% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.5% | 300.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 108°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 2.4" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 64 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.2 min | 23.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.3 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.61 | 19.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 56.1% | 76.8% | 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
Imperial
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Coalinga
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Imperial, CA · Coalinga, CA · How this is calculated: methodology