01604 and 01852 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
01604
01852
Opportunity
56 · Top 48%
vs48 · Bottom 35%
Growth
67 · Top 19%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs88 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 25%
vs64 · Bottom 27%
Schools
22 · Bottom 13%
vs32 · Bottom 26%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs91 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs60 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | 01604 | 01852 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,812 | 37,144 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,505 | $80,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,986 | $40,981 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,001/sq mi | 7,469/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $352,500 | $424,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,584 | $1,581 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.1% | 44.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.8% | 33.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 720 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 25.2% | 34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.3" | 40.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 30.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.18 | 13.65 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 11.6% | 15.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.8% | 30.0% | 2019-20 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
01604
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
01852
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 01604 — Worcester, MA · 01852 — Lowell, MA · How this is calculated: methodology