Mendota receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Mendota
Madera
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 6%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Growth
51 · Top 50%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
70 · Bottom 46%
vs70 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 18%
vs57 · Bottom 17%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs41 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Mendota | Madera | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,577 | 67,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,342 | $63,933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $15,628 | $24,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,816/sq mi | 3,442/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $281,000 | $359,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,042 | $1,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.7% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.7% | 7.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.3% | 10.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.5% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 123 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 14.3% | -7.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 10.8" | 10.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.7 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.6 | 30.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.12 | 19.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 97.7% | 88.1% | 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
Mendota
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Madera
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, heat wave.
Full profiles: Mendota, CA · Madera, CA · How this is calculated: methodology