Napa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Monterey
Napa
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs29 · Bottom 16%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs22 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
33 · Bottom 2%
vs42 · Bottom 5%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs63 · Top 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Monterey | Napa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,613 | 78,239 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $102,846 | $105,963 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,773 | $56,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,425/sq mi | 4,334/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,076,300 | $856,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,353 | $2,282 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 36.2% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.9% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 129 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | -15.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.2" | 20.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 41.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.14 | 23.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.0% | 65.7% | 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
Monterey
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Napa
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Monterey, CA · Napa, CA · How this is calculated: methodology