61834 and 61081 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
61834
61081
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 9%
vs42 · Bottom 25%
Growth
6 · Bottom 1%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
66 · Bottom 39%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 29%
vs65 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs74 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 16%
vs51 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | 61834 | 61081 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,821 | 20,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,443 | $67,586 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,186 | $38,370 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 73/sq mi | 168/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,300 | $123,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 87.1% | 72.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 22.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 40.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 21.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 43.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.62 | 15.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 95.9% | 60.5% | 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
61834
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake, tornado.
61081
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: 61834 — Danville, IL · 61081 — Sterling, IL · How this is calculated: methodology