78043 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
78043
27217
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 21%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Growth
57 · Top 38%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
67 · Bottom 40%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
70 · Top 35%
vs64 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 28%
vs89 · Top 28%
Access
90 · Bottom 34%
vs81 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 22%
vs40 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 78043 | 27217 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,760 | 41,406 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,396 | $51,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $21,214 | $25,751 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 258/sq mi | 336/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $170,600 | $173,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,005 | $915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.5% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 15.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.4% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,142 | 513 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 8.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -21.0% | 27.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 100°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 21.3" | 43.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.8 | 35.5 | 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.
Full profiles: 78043 — Laredo, TX · 27217 — Burlington, NC · How this is calculated: methodology