79601 and 79603 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
79601
79603
Opportunity
63 · Top 33%
vs60 · Top 40%
Growth
88 · Top 1%
vs88 · Top 1%
Climate
66 · Bottom 39%
vs66 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs48 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 47%
vs86 · Top 40%
Schools
45 · Bottom 42%
vs26 · Bottom 18%
Access
35 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
18 · Bottom 2%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Measured values
| Metric | 79601 | 79603 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,050 | 23,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,631 | $53,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $22,703 | $25,590 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 107/sq mi | 398/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,200 | $120,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,031 | $1,068 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.2% | 62.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 26.5% | 22.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,757 | 1,757 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.7 | 13.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 125.0% | 125.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.2" | 25.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 98 mi | 75 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.2 min | 17.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.8 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.14 | 15.51 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 34.6% | 26.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.7% | 28.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.1% | 74.1% | 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
79601
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail, drought.
79603
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: 79601 — Abilene, TX · 79603 — Abilene, TX · How this is calculated: methodology