50061 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
50061
03224
Opportunity
87 · Top 2%
vs84 · Top 4%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 38%
vs50 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs97 · Top 17%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
80 · Top 11%
vs77 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 50061 | 03224 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,123 | 2,392 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,714 | $138,125 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,331 | $65,121 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 69/sq mi | 56/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $533,800 | $438,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,163 | $2,136 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 96.7% | 93.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.9% | 50.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 349 | 176 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -4.1% | 300.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 32.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 50.9 | 48.7 | 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
50061
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, heat wave.
03224
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, hurricane.
Full profiles: 50061 — West Des Moines, IA · 03224 — Concord, NH · How this is calculated: methodology