Signals
79606
26508
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs71 · Top 18%
Climate
66 · Bottom 39%
vs70 · Bottom 48%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs50 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs95 · Top 21%
Schools
74 · Top 21%
vs83 · Top 10%
Access
46 · Bottom 3%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs58 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 79606 | 26508 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,182 | 40,231 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,196 | $90,041 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,942 | $51,488 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 420/sq mi | 327/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $272,600 | $311,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,194 | $1,011 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.0% | 75.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.8% | 50.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 96°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.2" | 43.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 80 mi | 53 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 24.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 36.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.19 | 15.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.2% | 53.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.6% | 55.3% | 2019-20 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.
Texas and West Virginia do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
79606
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
26508
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 79606 — Abilene, TX · 26508 — Cheat Lake, WV · How this is calculated: methodology