Ceres receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Ceres
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 7%
vs32 · Bottom 8%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs19 · Bottom 7%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs22 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs90 · Bottom 42%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs52 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Ceres | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 169,169 | 49,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,511 | $79,025 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,046 | $27,716 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,794/sq mi | 5,194/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $446,600 | $424,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,764 | $1,639 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.4% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 8.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 15.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 313 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -68.5% | -50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.8" | 12.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 33.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 32.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.94 | 23.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.6% | 84.6% | 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
Lancaster
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Ceres
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Lancaster, CA · Ceres, CA · How this is calculated: methodology