72501 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72653
72501
Opportunity
55 · Top 49%
vs66 · Top 27%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 7%
Climate
74 · Top 33%
vs72 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
38 · Bottom 30%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
44 · Bottom 2%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 8%
vs29 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | 72653 | 72501 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,564 | 26,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $48,718 | $52,829 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,181 | $30,545 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 134/sq mi | 86/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $174,200 | $147,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $854 | $862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 22.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 37 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 3.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.3% | 117.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.2" | 48.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 80 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 18.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.3 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.35 | 14.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.9% | 59.1% | 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
72653
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
72501
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Full profiles: 72653 — Mountain Home, AR · 72501 — Batesville, AR · How this is calculated: methodology