Arcata, CA vs Walnut Creek, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Arcata

65.5

#1626 nationally

Walnut Creek

61.4

#1910 nationally

Walnut Creek leads in median household income ($129,971 vs $43,444). Arcata leads in average commute (18.4 min vs 35.1 min). Walnut Creek leads in crime level (7.7 vs 13.9).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Arcata, CA	Walnut Creek, CA
WhereAtHome Score	65.5 (#1626)	61.4 (#1910)
Population	19,012	69,152
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$480,134	$1,032,096
Median Household Income	$43,444	$129,971
Average Commute	18.4 min	35.1 min
Walk Score	48	41
Crime Level	13.9	7.7
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	133	197
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+28.4	D+38.0