01970 and 02149 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
01970
02149
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs60 · Top 40%
Growth
72 · Top 13%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs65 · Bottom 37%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 26%
vs88 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 14%
vs40 · Bottom 5%
Schools
48 · Bottom 44%
vs37 · Bottom 31%
Access
96 · Top 35%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
66 · Top 39%
vs61 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 01970 | 02149 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,738 | 50,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,041 | $85,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,314 | $37,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,428/sq mi | 14,637/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $542,900 | $610,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,836 | $2,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.6% | 37.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 24.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.1% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 177 | 213 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 378.4% | 21.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 38.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.78 | 11.73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.5% | 17.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.5% | 29.0% | 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
01970
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
02149
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 01970 — Salem, MA · 02149 — Everett, MA · How this is calculated: methodology