48505 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
48601
48505
Opportunity
4 · Bottom 1%
vs3 · Bottom 1%
Growth
3 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 49%
vs75 · Bottom 43%
Access
97 · Top 32%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 2%
vs14 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | 48601 | 48505 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,601 | 18,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $38,900 | $33,283 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,720 | $18,546 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 303/sq mi | 1,446/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $62,800 | $31,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $856 | $797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 48.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.0% | 12.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -6.3% | -6.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.9% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.6% | 39.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 32.1" | 32.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 37 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.75 | 13.88 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 94.1% | 95.9% | 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
48601
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, inland flooding.
48505
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Full profiles: 48601 — Saginaw, MI · 48505 — Flint, MI · How this is calculated: methodology