72501 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72501
72653
Opportunity
66 · Top 27%
vs55 · Top 49%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
72 · Top 44%
vs74 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs87 · Top 39%
Access
50 · Bottom 4%
vs44 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 8%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | 72501 | 72653 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,218 | 29,564 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,829 | $48,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,545 | $34,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 86/sq mi | 134/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $147,900 | $174,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $862 | $854 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 73.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 4.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 20.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.2% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 4.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 117.6% | -11.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.9" | 41.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 80 mi | 84 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.3 min | 19.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.0 | 51.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.78 | 14.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.1% | 41.9% | 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
72501
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
72653
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Full profiles: 72501 — Batesville, AR · 72653 — Mountain Home, AR · How this is calculated: methodology