05408 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
01606
05408
Opportunity
62 · Top 35%
vs60 · Top 38%
Growth
67 · Top 19%
vs68 · Top 17%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 47%
vs85 · Top 41%
Access
80 · Bottom 21%
vs88 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
74 · Top 22%
vs77 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 01606 | 05408 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,844 | 10,019 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,105 | $95,018 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,282 | $51,617 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,815/sq mi | 2,474/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,800 | $400,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,584 | $1,457 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 73.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -3.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.5% | 56.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 7.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 720 | 569 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 12.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 25.2% | 9383.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.3" | 37.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.2 | 45.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.70 | 12.12 | 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
01606
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
05408
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 01606 — Worcester, MA · 05408 — Burlington, VT · How this is calculated: methodology