Redding and Fortuna 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
Redding
Fortuna
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Climate
59 · Bottom 13%
vs70 · Bottom 48%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 24%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Redding | Fortuna | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 93,409 | 12,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,466 | $62,289 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,911 | $34,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,571/sq mi | 2,347/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $382,300 | $379,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,379 | $1,168 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.8% | 56.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.9% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 94 | 36 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -60.0% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 100°F | 63°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.5" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 127 mi | 140 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.7 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 38 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.69 | 19.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.6% | 71.1% | 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
Redding
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Fortuna
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Redding, CA · Fortuna, CA · How this is calculated: methodology