17512 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
64056
17512
Opportunity
67 · Top 25%
vs74 · Top 15%
Growth
26 · Bottom 12%
vs33 · Bottom 23%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs64 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 34%
vs62 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs89 · Top 33%
Access
87 · Bottom 33%
vs93 · Top 49%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 41%
vs50 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | 64056 | 17512 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,395 | 18,148 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,685 | $66,684 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,315 | $39,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 884/sq mi | 1,134/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $198,400 | $245,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,316 | $1,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.0% | 65.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 23.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 72 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 0.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 42.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 43.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.27 | 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
64056
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
17512
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 64056 — Independence, MO · 17512 — Columbia, PA · How this is calculated: methodology