Poway receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Poway
Santee
Opportunity
68 · Top 27%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
54 · Top 42%
vs25 · Bottom 12%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs56 · Bottom 16%
Access
64 · Bottom 9%
vs60 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
71 · Top 26%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Poway | Santee | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,713 | 59,332 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $148,359 | $113,394 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,948 | $49,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,247/sq mi | 3,588/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,034,800 | $727,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,301 | $2,250 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.2% | 72.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.2% | 35.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 105 | 54 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 0.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 90.9% | -66.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.6" | 11.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 72 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.2 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.32 | 23.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.4% | 45.1% | 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
Poway
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Santee
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Poway, CA · Santee, CA · How this is calculated: methodology