Lodi vs Stockton

Which is the better fit for you?

Lodi, CA
49
Area Score
Bottom 16% nationally
Stockton, CA
43
Area Score
Bottom 6% nationally

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Lodi receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Lodi to Stockton

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 107.6 against 107.6 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$190 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,830 in Stockton against $2,020 in Lodi.
The median home
10% less
$440,900 in Stockton against $492,500 in Lodi.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 39°F in Stockton against 39°F in Lodi; July highs are 95°F against 95°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Lodi
Stockton
Opportunity: Lodi is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs
40 · Bottom 18%
Growth: Lodi is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
57 · Top 36%
vs
36 · Bottom 23%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs
76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs
25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability: Lodi is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 25%
vs
52 · Bottom 23%
Schools: Lodi is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
27 · Bottom 22%
vs
12 · Bottom 5%
Access: Stockton is the more favorable of the two.
Access
96 · Top 35%
vs
100 · Top 4%
Economic stability: Lodi is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 36%
vs
42 · Bottom 24%

Measured values

MetricLodiStocktonSource period
Population67,607322,3262024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$88,530 — more favorable$79,9072024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$39,044 — more favorable$31,9182024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,942/sq mi5,092/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$492,500$440,9002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,680$1,577 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,020$1,830 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index107.6107.62023
Homeownership rate56.8%53.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.7% — more favorable7.1%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.3%−1.3%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher24.6% — more favorable20.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate12.3% — more favorable15.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)15630612 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.3 — more favorable0.912 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−22.4%−25.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high95°F95°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low39°F39°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation13.4"13.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport16 mi7 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute25.6 min — more favorable32.4 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age36.433.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools251152024-25 school year
Students per teacher21.7 — more favorable22.72024-25 school year
Math proficiency33.0% — more favorable26.7%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency47.6% — more favorable40.0%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility68.9%76.9%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.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Lodi

Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.

Stockton

Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Lodi
—
Lodi: Your Score
49
Area Score
Stockton
—
Stockton: Your Score
43
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Lodi, CA · Stockton, CA · How this is calculated: methodology