57706 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
57706
99703
Opportunity
63 · Top 32%
vs56 · Top 48%
Growth
68 · Top 17%
vs32 · Bottom 21%
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs41 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 16%
vs30 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
28 · Bottom 2%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
84 · Top 5%
vs84 · Top 6%
Measured values
| Metric | 57706 | 99703 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,787 | 8,304 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,162 | $68,667 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,521 | $27,399 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 454/sq mi | 858/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,738 | $2,239 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 0.0% | 0.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.9% | 29.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 1.4% | 3.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 10 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.9% | 25.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 13°F | -17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.4" | 11.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 11.5 min | 12.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 21.7 | 22.8 | 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
57706
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, winter weather.
99703
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 57706 — Box Elder, SD · 99703 — Fairbanks, AK · How this is calculated: methodology