Antioch vs Palmdale
The short version
- Palmdale is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Antioch area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $471,000 in Palmdale and $629,700 in Antioch.
- Households earn more in Antioch ($97,465 vs $81,770 median).
- Palmdale has more scorching days: 118 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 64.
- Antioch is growing faster: +3.2% since 2020 vs -4.5%.
Side by side
| Antioch, CA | Palmdale, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 118,958 | 161,845 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.2% | -4.5% |
| People per square mile | 4,078 | 1,526 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 33.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 17% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $97,465 | $81,770 |
| Median home value | $629,700 | $471,000 |
| Home value to income | 6.5× | 5.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,278 | $1,802 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 194.7 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $86,700 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 64% | 66% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 42.0 | 39.9 |
| Work from home | 13% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.4% | 8.3% |
| Poverty rate | 11.4% | 15.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 56° / 40° | 60° / 35° |
| July high / low | 91° / 61° | 98° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 13 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 64 | 118 |
| Nights below freezing | 7 | 38 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.5 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -4.8% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +8.2% | +31.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Antioch: March to May and October to November. Palmdale: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Antioch weather by month and Palmdale weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $86,700 in Antioch and $85,200 in Palmdale. Moving from Antioch to Palmdale, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Antioch and Palmdale
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Antioch and Palmdale.
Which would you pick?
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