72903 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29033
72903
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs63 · Top 33%
Growth
44 · Bottom 40%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
72 · Top 44%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 48%
vs91 · Top 31%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs95 · Top 43%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 49%
vs58 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 29033 | 72903 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,837 | 27,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,237 | $61,434 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,770 | $36,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,282/sq mi | 1,681/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $163,800 | $235,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,330 | $827 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.7% | 52.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 30.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 17 | 359 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.2% | -10.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 47.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 17.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.5 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.41 | 13.53 | 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
29033
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
72903
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Full profiles: 29033 — Cayce, SC · 72903 — Fort Smith, AR · How this is calculated: methodology