72015 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72404
72015
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs86 · Top 1%
Climate
70 · Top 49%
vs66 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 42%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs96 · Top 19%
Access
73 · Bottom 15%
vs80 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 47%
vs63 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 72404 | 72015 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,968 | 28,712 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,269 | $66,107 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,036 | $34,318 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 234/sq mi | 338/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $247,100 | $180,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $946 | $1,089 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 72.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.6% | 22.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 792 | 355 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.9 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2.1% | 65.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.5" | 50.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.80 | 12.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.9% | 40.0% | 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
72404
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
72015
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, hail.
Full profiles: 72404 — Jonesboro, AR · 72015 — Benton, AR · How this is calculated: methodology