72916 and 38651 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
72916
38651
Opportunity
73 · Top 16%
vs62 · Top 35%
Growth
54 · Top 43%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
63 · Bottom 26%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
58 · Top 50%
vs57 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs96 · Top 18%
Access
95 · Top 43%
vs98 · Top 22%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 72916 | 38651 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,711 | 8,731 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,983 | $98,760 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $70,888 | $42,592 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 311/sq mi | 265/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,700 | $328,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,242 | $796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 92.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.1% | 30.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 6.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 359 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.5% | -28.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.3" | 54.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 34.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 38.8 | 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
72916
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
38651
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 72916 — Fort Smith, AR · 38651 — Hernando, MS · How this is calculated: methodology