35055 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
64801
35055
Opportunity
62 · Top 35%
vs61 · Top 37%
Growth
66 · Top 21%
vs75 · Top 9%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 42%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 39%
vs89 · Top 33%
Access
66 · Bottom 9%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 23%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 64801 | 35055 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,287 | 23,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,620 | $58,405 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,181 | $31,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 631/sq mi | 362/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $180,600 | $218,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $956 | $923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.3% | 64.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 257 | 193 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 10.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.7% | 33.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.6" | 58.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 58 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 24.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.6 | 41.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 3.50 | 16.25 | 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
64801
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, drought.
35055
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 64801 — Joplin, MO · 35055 — Cullman, AL · How this is calculated: methodology