35951 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29506
35951
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 35%
vs53 · Bottom 45%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs75 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
22 · Bottom 4%
vs29 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | 29506 | 35951 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,777 | 14,869 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $40,311 | $54,229 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,380 | $25,253 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 172/sq mi | 191/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $123,300 | $161,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $798 | $758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.8% | 74.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.3% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.6% | 26.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 474 | 125 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 45.0% | 104.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 57.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.4 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.99 | 17.76 | 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
29506
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
35951
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 29506 — Florence, SC · 35951 — Albertville, AL · How this is calculated: methodology