Coalinga receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Madera
Coalinga
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 5%
vs39 · Bottom 17%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
70 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs13 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 17%
vs95 · Top 21%
Access
86 · Bottom 30%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 18%
vs32 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Madera | Coalinga | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,831 | 17,203 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,933 | $75,451 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,200 | $24,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,442/sq mi | 2,561/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $359,900 | $262,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,353 | $1,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.7% | 53.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.8% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.9% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.6% | 21.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 123 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -7.5% | 300.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 10.8" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 23.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.4 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.86 | 19.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.1% | 76.8% | 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
Madera
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, heat wave.
Coalinga
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Madera, CA · Coalinga, CA · How this is calculated: methodology