23605 and 23502 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
23605
23502
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 10%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Growth
11 · Bottom 2%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
79 · Top 19%
vs75 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 15%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs67 · Bottom 31%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs26 · Bottom 17%
Access
95 · Top 43%
vs85 · Bottom 29%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 46%
vs59 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | 23605 | 23502 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,332 | 20,399 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,815 | $63,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,007 | $34,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,637/sq mi | 2,059/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $194,900 | $266,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,222 | $1,398 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.5% | 45.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 23.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 483 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -84.4% | 50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.8" | 49.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.7 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.90 | 12.34 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.7% | 25.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.6% | 44.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.3% | 97.0% | 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
23605
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
23502
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: 23605 — Newport News, VA · 23502 — Norfolk, VA · How this is calculated: methodology