01850 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
01902
01850
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 26%
vs40 · Bottom 20%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 26%
vs88 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
38 · Bottom 5%
vs48 · Bottom 11%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs22 · Bottom 12%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs92 · Bottom 49%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 45%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 01902 | 01850 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,066 | 17,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,046 | $69,780 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,722 | $27,609 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 21,125/sq mi | 13,035/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $478,000 | $390,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,673 | $1,707 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 36.9% | 49.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 19.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 32.4% | 34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 40.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.3 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.46 | 12.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.0% | 9.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.2% | 23.0% | 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
01902
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
01850
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 01902 — Lynn, MA · 01850 — Lowell, MA · How this is calculated: methodology