46016 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29306
46016
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 32%
vs44 · Bottom 27%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs48 · Bottom 47%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 36%
vs72 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 27%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Access
87 · Bottom 32%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 11%
vs24 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 29306 | 46016 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,714 | 17,834 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $41,356 | $36,029 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,855 | $21,818 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 856/sq mi | 2,803/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $177,500 | $78,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $948 | $870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.5% | 40.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.0% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 9.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 32.2% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 33 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -5.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.7" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.3 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.03 | 14.84 | 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
29306
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave, earthquake.
46016
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29306 — Spartanburg, SC · 46016 — Anderson, IN · How this is calculated: methodology