35968 and 31533 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
35968
31533
Opportunity
55 · Top 49%
vs51 · Bottom 42%
Growth
50 · Bottom 48%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs54 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
18 · Bottom 2%
vs31 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 35968 | 31533 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,763 | 17,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $43,539 | $42,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,798 | $22,894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 75/sq mi | 257/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $122,400 | $123,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $698 | $672 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.7% | 50.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.0% | 16.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.2% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 24 | 39 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 3.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 5.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 44.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 57 mi | 60 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 18.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-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
35968
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
31533
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 35968 — Fort Payne, AL · 31533 — Douglas, GA · How this is calculated: methodology