35957 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
35967
35957
Opportunity
58 · Top 43%
vs52 · Bottom 43%
Growth
50 · Bottom 48%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs48 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs98 · Top 13%
Access
63 · Bottom 7%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 6%
vs39 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | 35967 | 35957 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,957 | 16,737 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,051 | $51,406 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,830 | $26,136 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 133/sq mi | 214/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,300 | $162,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $684 | $705 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 72.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.7% | 18.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 24 | 24 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -4.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 57.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 64 mi | 45 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.6 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 35.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.54 | 17.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.9% | 66.3% | 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
35967
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
35957
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 35967 — Fort Payne, AL · 35957 — Boaz, AL · How this is calculated: methodology