72703 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72703
37130
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs71 · Top 19%
Growth
82 · Top 3%
vs79 · Top 5%
Climate
73 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 44%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 29%
vs61 · Bottom 23%
Access
91 · Bottom 45%
vs94 · Top 45%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs56 · Bottom 44%
Measured values
| Metric | 72703 | 37130 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,896 | 58,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,568 | $62,706 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,347 | $39,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 893/sq mi | 1,073/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $391,000 | $371,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,006 | $1,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.0% | 49.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 4.2% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.9% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,340 | 1,489 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 23.6 | 9.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -4.8% | 8.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.0" | 50.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.5 | 32.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 11 | 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
72703
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
37130
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 72703 — Fayetteville, AR · 37130 — Murfreesboro, TN · How this is calculated: methodology