32720 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
32168
32720
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 34%
vs47 · Bottom 33%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
82 · Top 12%
vs79 · Top 19%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs35 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 26%
vs68 · Bottom 32%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs40 · Bottom 36%
Access
93 · Top 50%
vs93 · Top 50%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs42 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | 32168 | 32720 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,847 | 36,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $77,083 | $68,830 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,306 | $35,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 207/sq mi | 547/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $358,500 | $322,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,686 | $1,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.7% | 69.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.3% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 195 | 192 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.1% | 0.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.3" | 49.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.0 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 54.8 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.59 | 17.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 52.4% | 46.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 53.2% | 52.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.6% | 60.4% | 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
32168
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
32720
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 32168 — New Smyrna Beach, FL · 32720 — DeLand, FL · How this is calculated: methodology