27804 and 28303 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
27804
28303
Opportunity
24 · Bottom 4%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Growth
33 · Bottom 22%
vs21 · Bottom 8%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs73 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 39%
vs52 · Bottom 45%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs82 · Top 47%
Schools
3 · Bottom 1%
vs14 · Bottom 5%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 35%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | 27804 | 28303 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,713 | 30,965 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,359 | $58,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,419 | $35,649 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 716/sq mi | 2,011/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $209,300 | $189,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,037 | $1,192 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 47.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 31.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 15.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 87 | 322 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.6% | -68.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.4" | 44.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 47 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 19.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.17 | 19.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 9.9% | 23.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 24.0% | 32.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 99.0% | 87.8% | 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
27804
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
28303
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 27804 — Rocky Mount, NC · 28303 — Fayetteville, NC · How this is calculated: methodology