Palmdale receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Palmdale
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 7%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs54 · Bottom 13%
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Palmdale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 169,169 | 164,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,511 | $81,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,046 | $29,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,794/sq mi | 1,552/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $446,600 | $471,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,764 | $1,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.4% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 313 | 472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -68.5% | 391.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 6.8" | 5.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 41.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 33.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.94 | 24.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.6% | 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
Lancaster
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lancaster, CA · Palmdale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology