35951 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
35951
35125
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 45%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs73 · Top 12%
Climate
78 · Top 20%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs41 · Bottom 32%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
75 · Bottom 16%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 7%
vs32 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | 35951 | 35125 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,869 | 11,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,229 | $59,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,253 | $26,730 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 191/sq mi | 238/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $161,000 | $183,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $758 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.9% | 69.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 125 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 8.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 104.9% | 6.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 57.6" | 52.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.76 | 16.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.3% | 62.0% | 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
35951
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
35125
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 35951 — Albertville, AL · 35125 — Pell City, AL · How this is calculated: methodology