Richmond receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Vallejo
Richmond
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
28 · Bottom 15%
vs26 · Bottom 12%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 8%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs60 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Vallejo | Richmond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 124,268 | 115,505 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,171 | $95,391 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,240 | $43,743 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,083/sq mi | 3,845/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $589,500 | $668,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,073 | $1,960 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.4% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 33.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 45 | 79 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.9% | -40.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 66°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 22.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.8 min | 37.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 37.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 28 | 46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.41 | 22.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.7% | 78.9% | 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
Vallejo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Vallejo, CA · Richmond, CA · How this is calculated: methodology