50061 and 03823 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
50061
03823
Opportunity
87 · Top 2%
vs88 · Top 2%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 38%
vs63 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs98 · Top 15%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs82 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
80 · Top 11%
vs86 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 50061 | 03823 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,123 | 2,203 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,714 | $148,365 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,331 | $57,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 69/sq mi | 189/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $533,800 | $476,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,163 | $1,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 96.7% | 82.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.9% | 52.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 349 | 168 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 5.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -4.1% | -25.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 47.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 50.9 | 37.7 | 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.
03823
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Full profiles: 50061 — West Des Moines, IA · 03823 — Dover, NH · How this is calculated: methodology