17512 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
63104
17512
Opportunity
62 · Top 34%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
31 · Bottom 18%
vs33 · Bottom 23%
Climate
72 · Top 41%
vs64 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
58 · Bottom 49%
vs62 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs89 · Top 33%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs93 · Top 49%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs50 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | 63104 | 17512 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,007 | 18,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,764 | $66,684 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,298 | $39,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,650/sq mi | 1,134/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $268,900 | $245,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,096 | $1,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.9% | 65.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.0% | 23.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 304 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.8" | 42.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 43.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.42 | 13.53 | 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
63104
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
17512
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 63104 — St. Louis, MO · 17512 — Columbia, PA · How this is calculated: methodology