Sanger receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sanger
Mendota
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs51 · Top 50%
Climate
70 · Bottom 46%
vs70 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 9%
vs12 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs59 · Bottom 18%
Access
94 · Top 41%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Sanger | Mendota | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,699 | 12,577 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,500 | $50,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,072 | $15,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,292/sq mi | 3,816/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $364,800 | $281,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,209 | $1,042 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 44.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% | 7.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.5% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 27.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 109 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 39.7% | 14.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 10.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.0 min | 34.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.9 | 26.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Sanger
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Mendota
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Full profiles: Sanger, CA · Mendota, CA · How this is calculated: methodology