Signals
Prunedale
Valley Center
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 27%
vs61 · Top 40%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs84 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 19%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
78 · Bottom 20%
vs74 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Prunedale | Valley Center | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,723 | 11,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,819 | $132,361 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,932 | $52,880 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 428/sq mi | 405/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $833,400 | $883,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,618 | $1,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.7% | 92.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.8% | 38.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 71°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 14.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.8 min | 40.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.40 | 22.93 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.2% | 63.8% | 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
Prunedale
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Valley Center
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
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Prunedale
56
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Area Score
Valley Center
58
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Area Score
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Full profiles: Prunedale, CA · Valley Center, CA · How this is calculated: methodology