68601 and 72802 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
68601
72802
Opportunity
56 · Top 47%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Growth
61 · Top 30%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
28 · Bottom 22%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs63 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs41 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 68601 | 72802 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,944 | 23,283 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,480 | $64,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,313 | $34,476 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 108/sq mi | 169/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $221,900 | $203,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $897 | $888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 77.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.5% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 161 | 50 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -51.4% | 72.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 28.7" | 46.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.9 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.9 | 40.0 | 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
68601
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, tornado.
72802
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 68601 — Columbus, NE · 72802 — Russellville, AR · How this is calculated: methodology