29624 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29624
72401
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 44%
vs59 · Top 40%
Growth
81 · Top 3%
vs74 · Top 11%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs70 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 44%
vs48 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 37%
vs72 · Bottom 38%
Access
88 · Bottom 34%
vs81 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 2%
vs32 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 29624 | 72401 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,498 | 42,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $30,549 | $45,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,638 | $27,009 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 479/sq mi | 481/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $76,900 | $188,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $780 | $923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.2% | 48.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.9% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.9% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.0% | 30.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 281 | 792 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 9.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.3% | 2.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.3" | 48.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 26 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 33.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.68 | 15.83 | 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
29624
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
72401
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Full profiles: 29624 — Anderson, SC · 72401 — Jonesboro, AR · How this is calculated: methodology