25401 and 97301 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
25401
97301
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 28%
vs50 · Bottom 39%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs74 · Top 10%
Climate
69 · Bottom 47%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 42%
vs42 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 31%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
76 · Bottom 17%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 25401 | 97301 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,979 | 57,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,909 | $60,422 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,131 | $26,930 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,561/sq mi | 5,093/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $229,200 | $341,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,101 | $1,278 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.6% | 42.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.4% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.8% | 16.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 20.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 233 | 1,177 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.3 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 258.5% | 67.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.0" | 40.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.3 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.53 | 19.41 | 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
25401
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
97301
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 25401 — Martinsburg, WV · 97301 — Salem, OR · How this is calculated: methodology