45638 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
45638
71854
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs45 · Bottom 29%
Growth
42 · Bottom 37%
vs43 · Bottom 39%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs72 · Top 42%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
47 · Bottom 3%
vs57 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 7%
vs21 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 45638 | 71854 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,982 | 35,720 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,728 | $46,878 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,408 | $28,638 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 260/sq mi | 132/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $119,000 | $161,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $807 | $894 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.6% | 61.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 14.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.0% | 25.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 43 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 43.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.1" | 48.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 85 mi | 69 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.5 min | 19.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.06 | 11.73 | 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
45638
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
71854
Elevated or high exposure: hail, ice storm, drought.
Full profiles: 45638 — Ironton, OH · 71854 — Texarkana, AR · How this is calculated: methodology