66045 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
66045
46402
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 30%
vs30 · Bottom 9%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs40 · Bottom 33%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs62 · Bottom 21%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs81 · Top 23%
Access
89 · Bottom 38%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
4 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | 66045 | 46402 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,925 | 5,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $13,750 | $33,529 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $5,451 | $19,741 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,728/sq mi | 692/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 0.0% | 43.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 7.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 100.0% | 10.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 84.9% | 44.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 189 | 10 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 13.2% | 25.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.6" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 11.5 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 19.4 | 33.5 | 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
66045
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
46402
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 66045 — Lawrence, KS · 46402 — Gary, IN · How this is calculated: methodology