Seaside receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Soledad
Seaside
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 12%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
22 · Bottom 9%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs12 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 26%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Access
55 · Bottom 5%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Soledad | Seaside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,365 | 31,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,862 | $85,311 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $22,353 | $34,196 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,911/sq mi | 3,565/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $595,900 | $787,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,698 | $2,409 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.0% | 35.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.4% | 29.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -72.7% | 76.4% | 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 | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 22.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.56 | 20.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 86.0% | 76.8% | 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.
Seaside
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Soledad, CA · Seaside, CA · How this is calculated: methodology