Visalia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Visalia
Lindsay
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs19 · Bottom 1%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs15 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Visalia | Lindsay | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 143,939 | 12,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,989 | $53,201 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,609 | $20,514 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,739/sq mi | 4,340/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $371,500 | $286,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,490 | $1,009 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 49.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 10.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.5% | 33.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 883 | 18 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 87.5% | 500.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.1" | 12.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 31.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 31.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.73 | 21.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.8% | 87.9% | 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
Visalia
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, wildfire.
Lindsay
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, wildfire.
Full profiles: Visalia, CA · Lindsay, CA · How this is calculated: methodology