30506 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
30120
30506
Opportunity
82 · Top 6%
vs83 · Top 5%
Growth
59 · Top 35%
vs71 · Top 14%
Climate
77 · Top 25%
vs80 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 44%
vs63 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs89 · Top 35%
Schools
65 · Top 33%
vs69 · Top 28%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 48%
vs54 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | 30120 | 30506 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,896 | 45,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,581 | $97,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,593 | $52,071 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 483/sq mi | 454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $307,000 | $390,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,232 | $1,371 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.8% | 84.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.0% | 37.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 137 | 413 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.3% | 5.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.1" | 52.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 33.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 45.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.25 | 15.18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.3% | 43.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.1% | 41.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.6% | 47.1% | 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
30120
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
30506
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 30120 — Cartersville, GA · 30506 — Gainesville, GA · How this is calculated: methodology