72802 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
72802
52501
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 46%
vs48 · Bottom 35%
Growth
59 · Top 34%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs36 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 14%
vs100 · Top 9%
Access
63 · Bottom 8%
vs57 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 21%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 72802 | 52501 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,283 | 30,371 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,110 | $63,426 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,476 | $32,047 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 169/sq mi | 135/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $203,400 | $122,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $888 | $926 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.3% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.8% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 16.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 50 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 72.4% | 21.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.4" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 63 mi | 69 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 20.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.0 | 38.5 | 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
72802
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake, inland flooding.
52501
Elevated or high exposure: drought, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 72802 — Russellville, AR · 52501 — Ottumwa, IA · How this is calculated: methodology