50322 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
50009
50322
Opportunity
80 · Top 8%
vs84 · Top 4%
Growth
78 · Top 6%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 11%
vs89 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs100 · Top 9%
Schools
72 · Top 24%
vs74 · Top 21%
Access
95 · Top 39%
vs95 · Top 43%
Economic stability
75 · Top 20%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | 50009 | 50322 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,886 | 31,931 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $88,447 | $92,085 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,085 | $46,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 820/sq mi | 2,950/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $278,300 | $276,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,232 | $1,186 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 72.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 2.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.4% | 44.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | 9.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 191 | 597 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.9 | 12.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.3% | 43.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.6" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 20.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 40.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.69 | 14.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 75.4% | 70.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.0% | 74.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.2% | 42.3% | 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
50009
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
50322
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: 50009 — Altoona, IA · 50322 — Urbandale, IA · How this is calculated: methodology