Marina receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Marina
Seaside
Opportunity
62 · Top 38%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs12 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
39 · Bottom 4%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Access
74 · Bottom 16%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
60 · Top 50%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Marina | Seaside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,563 | 31,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $95,955 | $85,311 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,714 | $34,196 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,532/sq mi | 3,565/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $818,700 | $787,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,101 | $2,409 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.9% | 35.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.9% | 29.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 192 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.5 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 43.3% | 76.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.2" | 16.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.84 | 20.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 55.4% | 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
Marina
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Seaside
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Marina, CA · Seaside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology