26003 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
26003
87401
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 14%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Growth
34 · Bottom 24%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs56 · Bottom 7%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 22%
vs26 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs77 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 14%
vs30 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | 26003 | 87401 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,982 | 45,229 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,703 | $61,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,424 | $30,159 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 439/sq mi | 341/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $166,100 | $215,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $818 | $1,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.5% | 64.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.0% | 22.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.0% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | 7.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.6" | 7.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.7 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.41 | 15.66 | 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
26003
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
87401
Elevated or high exposure: drought, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 26003 — Wheeling, WV · 87401 — Farmington, NM · How this is calculated: methodology