Pittsburg receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salinas
Pittsburg
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs41 · Bottom 33%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 9%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
73 · Bottom 15%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs63 · Top 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Salinas | Pittsburg | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 161,761 | 76,257 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,908 | $99,861 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,650 | $38,833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,879/sq mi | 4,314/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $654,100 | $597,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,991 | $2,264 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.0% | 62.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.5% | 23.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 234 | 85 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 44.4% | -13.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 16.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 41.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.4 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 43 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.32 | 21.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.2% | 80.1% | 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
Salinas
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Pittsburg
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Salinas, CA · Pittsburg, CA · How this is calculated: methodology