38651 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
57703
38651
Opportunity
67 · Top 26%
vs62 · Top 35%
Growth
54 · Top 44%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
53 · Bottom 45%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 27%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs98 · Top 22%
Economic stability
72 · Top 26%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 57703 | 38651 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,013 | 8,731 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,739 | $98,760 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,560 | $42,592 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 139/sq mi | 265/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $277,100 | $328,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,385 | $796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.6% | 92.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 30.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 6.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 354 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -50.7% | -28.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.4" | 54.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 34.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 38.8 | 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
57703
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
38651
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 57703 — Rapid City, SD · 38651 — Hernando, MS · How this is calculated: methodology