Lincoln receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lincoln
Davis
Opportunity
66 · Top 31%
vs60 · Top 43%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 34%
vs28 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs29 · Bottom 1%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 46%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Lincoln | Davis | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,956 | 66,978 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,990 | $90,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,082 | $51,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,159/sq mi | 6,717/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $651,000 | $866,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,090 | $2,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 43.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.1% | 76.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 26.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 598 | 119 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 38.7% | 21.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.0" | 18.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.3 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.2 | 26.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.40 | 22.15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.8% | 32.0% | 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
Lincoln
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Davis
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lincoln, CA · Davis, CA · How this is calculated: methodology