San Clemente receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Monterey
San Clemente
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs18 · Bottom 6%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs93 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
33 · Bottom 2%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs80 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Monterey | San Clemente | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,613 | 63,273 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $102,846 | $140,062 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,773 | $78,623 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,425/sq mi | 3,447/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,076,300 | $1,398,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,353 | $2,460 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 36.2% | 66.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.9% | 53.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | -59.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 45.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.14 | 23.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.0% | 36.4% | 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.
San Clemente
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Monterey
49
Your Score
45
Area Score
San Clemente
53
Your Score
49
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Monterey, CA · San Clemente, CA · How this is calculated: methodology