Windsor and Hollister receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Windsor
Hollister
Opportunity
56 · Top 49%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs64 · Bottom 25%
Access
64 · Bottom 9%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
71 · Top 28%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Windsor | Hollister | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,081 | 43,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,979 | $111,834 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $55,802 | $39,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,507/sq mi | 5,503/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $801,100 | $717,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,433 | $1,914 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 65.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.3% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.9% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 119 | 136 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.6 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 197.5% | 5.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 71°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 12.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 46 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 39.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.7 | 34.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.29 | 23.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.2% | 60.5% | 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
Windsor
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Hollister
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, drought, wildfire.
Full profiles: Windsor, CA · Hollister, CA · How this is calculated: methodology