Folsom receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lincoln
Folsom
Opportunity
66 · Top 31%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs81 · Top 16%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 34%
vs63 · Top 45%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs70 · Bottom 34%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 46%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Lincoln | Folsom | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,956 | 83,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,990 | $139,804 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,082 | $62,962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,159/sq mi | 3,010/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $651,000 | $755,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,090 | $2,352 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 69.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.1% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 598 | 421 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 5.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 38.7% | -42.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.0" | 19.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.3 min | 28.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.2 | 41.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.40 | 23.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.8% | 17.4% | 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
Lincoln
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Folsom
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lincoln, CA · Folsom, CA · How this is calculated: methodology