Pacifica and San Bruno 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
Pacifica
San Bruno
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs66 · Top 30%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs23 · Bottom 10%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
50 · Bottom 10%
vs45 · Bottom 7%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Pacifica | San Bruno | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,261 | 42,307 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $160,523 | $141,272 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $73,854 | $64,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,961/sq mi | 7,708/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,249,800 | $1,207,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,098 | $2,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.7% | 62.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 10 | 79 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.7% | -35.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.6" | 19.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.6 | 39.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.98 | 21.91 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.4% | 42.5% | 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
Pacifica
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Bruno
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Pacifica, CA · San Bruno, CA · How this is calculated: methodology