Lindsay and Mendota 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
Lindsay
Mendota
Opportunity
19 · Bottom 1%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs51 · Top 50%
Climate
71 · Top 45%
vs70 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs12 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 26%
vs59 · Bottom 18%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 17%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Lindsay | Mendota | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,643 | 12,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,201 | $50,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,514 | $15,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,340/sq mi | 3,816/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $286,400 | $281,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,009 | $1,042 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.5% | 44.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.7% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 33.1% | 27.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 500.0% | 14.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.1" | 10.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 34.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.0 | 26.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.46 | 23.12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.9% | 97.7% | 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
Lindsay
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, wildfire.
Mendota
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lindsay, CA · Mendota, CA · How this is calculated: methodology