35967 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
35967
38464
Opportunity
58 · Top 43%
vs45 · Bottom 30%
Growth
50 · Bottom 48%
vs53 · Top 46%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs76 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs93 · Top 25%
Access
63 · Bottom 7%
vs66 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 6%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | 35967 | 38464 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,957 | 23,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,051 | $50,853 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,830 | $28,210 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 133/sq mi | 87/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,300 | $183,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $684 | $758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 71.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.7% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 24 | 25 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -24.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 64 mi | 59 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.6 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 7 | 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.
38464
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 35967 — Fort Payne, AL · 38464 — Lawrenceburg, TN · How this is calculated: methodology