Pacific Grove and Sonoma receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Pacific Grove
Sonoma
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs54 · Bottom 44%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs38 · Bottom 28%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
33 · Bottom 2%
vs34 · Bottom 2%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 27%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Pacific Grove | Sonoma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,951 | 10,670 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,065 | $98,527 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $67,896 | $73,346 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,217/sq mi | 3,888/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,190,400 | $970,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,455 | $2,226 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.4% | 65.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.6% | 51.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 10.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | 12.5% | 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 | 51 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 28.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.2 | 57.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.85 | 19.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.5% | 37.2% | 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
Pacific Grove
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Sonoma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Pacific Grove
49
Your Score
46
Area Score
Sonoma
50
Your Score
47
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Pacific Grove, CA · Sonoma, CA · How this is calculated: methodology