Ripon and Lathrop 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
Ripon
Lathrop
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 24%
vs50 · Bottom 38%
Growth
68 · Top 19%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 42%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Ripon | Lathrop | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,201 | 35,052 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,380 | $126,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $55,986 | $38,991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,030/sq mi | 1,768/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $704,800 | $643,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,851 | $2,570 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 85.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 28.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 7.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 482 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 13.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1000.0% | -48.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 44.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.22 | 24.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 29.8% | 52.1% | 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
Ripon
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Lathrop
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Ripon, CA · Lathrop, CA · How this is calculated: methodology