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
Tulare
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
15 · Bottom 10%
vs15 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs49 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Visalia | Tulare | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 143,939 | 70,945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,989 | $72,410 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,609 | $27,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,739/sq mi | 3,421/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $371,500 | $329,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,490 | $1,435 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 58.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 11.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.5% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 883 | 497 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 87.5% | 20.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.1" | 8.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 24.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 29.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 46 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.73 | 22.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.8% | 73.9% | 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.
Tulare
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Visalia, CA · Tulare, CA · How this is calculated: methodology