30043 and 30518 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
30043
30518
Opportunity
84 · Top 4%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
61 · Top 32%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
78 · Top 21%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 47%
vs61 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs78 · Bottom 47%
Schools
77 · Top 18%
vs85 · Top 7%
Access
74 · Bottom 16%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | 30043 | 30518 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 87,929 | 57,912 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $94,096 | $96,936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,884 | $40,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,659/sq mi | 1,447/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $377,500 | $411,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,887 | $1,735 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.5% | 75.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.5% | 40.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 10.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 268 | 52 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -58.1% | -22.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.4" | 52.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 35 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.3 min | 34.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.79 | 15.23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 46.5% | 61.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.6% | 61.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.5% | 38.5% | 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.
Full profiles: 30043 — Lawrenceville, GA · 30518 — Buford, GA · How this is calculated: methodology