Yuba City and Modesto 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
Yuba City
Modesto
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 21%
vs22 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 22%
vs58 · Bottom 17%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs92 · Top 49%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Yuba City | Modesto | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,471 | 219,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,477 | $79,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,401 | $35,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,193/sq mi | 5,056/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $434,600 | $442,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,454 | $1,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 58.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 21.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 426 | 768 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 634.5% | 247.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.1" | 12.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.15 | 22.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.8% | 72.8% | 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
Yuba City
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Modesto
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Yuba City, CA · Modesto, CA · How this is calculated: methodology