72802 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
27909
72802
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 31%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Growth
65 · Top 22%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
80 · Top 18%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
34 · Bottom 26%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs63 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs41 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 27909 | 72802 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,869 | 23,283 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,732 | $64,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,769 | $34,476 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 180/sq mi | 169/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,600 | $203,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,170 | $888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.5% | 77.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 50 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 103.0% | 72.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.5" | 46.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-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
27909
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
72802
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 27909 — Elizabeth City, NC · 72802 — Russellville, AR · How this is calculated: methodology