23860 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
23805
23860
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 5%
vs23 · Bottom 3%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 48%
vs65 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 46%
vs88 · Top 36%
Schools
17 · Bottom 7%
vs20 · Bottom 11%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs32 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | 23805 | 23860 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,408 | 31,404 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,807 | $62,141 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,246 | $28,756 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 299/sq mi | 694/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $233,400 | $206,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,209 | $1,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 18.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 94 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.4% | -10.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.7" | 45.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.47 | 13.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.8% | 20.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.2% | 43.3% | 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
23805
Elevated or high exposure: drought, hurricane.
23860
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, drought.
Full profiles: 23805 — Petersburg, VA · 23860 — Hopewell, VA · How this is calculated: methodology