Marina receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Soledad
Marina
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 12%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs12 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 26%
vs39 · Bottom 4%
Access
55 · Bottom 5%
vs74 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs60 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Soledad | Marina | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,365 | 22,563 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,862 | $95,955 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $22,353 | $42,714 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,911/sq mi | 2,532/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $595,900 | $818,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,698 | $2,101 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.0% | 42.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.4% | 37.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 192 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 8.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -72.7% | 43.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 16.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 72 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.56 | 20.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.0% | 55.4% | 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
Soledad
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Marina
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Soledad, CA · Marina, CA · How this is calculated: methodology