47302 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
46953
47302
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 31%
vs42 · Bottom 24%
Growth
26 · Bottom 12%
vs31 · Bottom 18%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs75 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 29%
vs91 · Top 29%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs29 · Bottom 21%
Access
62 · Bottom 7%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
27 · Bottom 6%
vs31 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | 46953 | 47302 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,372 | 25,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,288 | $47,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,357 | $26,289 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 273/sq mi | 391/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $89,200 | $76,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $867 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 64.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.0% | 26.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 21 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -56.3% | -53.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.2 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.76 | 13.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.9% | 14.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.3% | 20.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.1% | 74.3% | 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
46953
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, hail, earthquake.
47302
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 46953 — Marion, IN · 47302 — Muncie, IN · How this is calculated: methodology