Salinas receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salinas
Soledad
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs12 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 9%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Access
73 · Bottom 15%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Salinas | Soledad | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 161,761 | 26,365 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,908 | $96,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,650 | $22,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,879/sq mi | 5,911/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $654,100 | $595,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,991 | $1,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.0% | 58.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 8.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.5% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 234 | 12 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 44.4% | -72.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 71°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 12.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 72 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 32.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.4 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 43 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.32 | 22.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.2% | 86.0% | 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.
Soledad
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Salinas, CA · Soledad, CA · How this is calculated: methodology