72916 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
01030
72916
Opportunity
67 · Top 26%
vs73 · Top 16%
Growth
40 · Bottom 35%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 48%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
100 · Top 4%
vs95 · Top 43%
Economic stability
71 · Top 29%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | 01030 | 72916 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,305 | 11,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,815 | $87,983 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,738 | $70,888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,023/sq mi | 311/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $327,700 | $263,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,118 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.2% | 71.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.6% | 40.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.2% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 359 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 133.3% | -10.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 47.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 21.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 48.7 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.70 | 7.21 | 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
01030
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
72916
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Full profiles: 01030 — Agawam Town, MA · 72916 — Fort Smith, AR · How this is calculated: methodology