31901 and 18508 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
31901
18508
Opportunity
56 · Top 47%
vs45 · Bottom 30%
Growth
30 · Bottom 17%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 44%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
21 · Bottom 3%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 31901 | 18508 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,841 | 11,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,424 | $49,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,703 | $26,390 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,328/sq mi | 1,708/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $226,500 | $145,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $925 | $1,037 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 33.6% | 54.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.0% | 2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.3% | 18.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.3% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 265 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -5.0% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.8" | 38.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 80 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.0 min | 19.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 40.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.80 | 6.86 | 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
31901
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
18508
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 31901 — Columbus, GA · 18508 — Scranton, PA · How this is calculated: methodology