Whittier receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Whittier
Palmdale
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 7%
vs54 · Bottom 13%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Whittier | Palmdale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 86,165 | 164,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,201 | $81,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,927 | $29,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,882/sq mi | 1,552/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $471,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,906 | $1,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.9% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.5% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 68.6% | 391.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.9" | 5.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.3 min | 41.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 33.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.37 | 24.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.2% | 73.4% | 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
Whittier
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Whittier, CA · Palmdale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology