45701 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92243
45701
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 7%
vs34 · Bottom 12%
Growth
41 · Bottom 35%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs64 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 4%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 25%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 9%
vs30 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | 92243 | 45701 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,069 | 33,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,057 | $53,075 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $23,703 | $30,957 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 433/sq mi | 224/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $317,900 | $227,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,054 | $996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.5% | 49.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 13.8% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -2.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.2% | 29.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 17 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.3% | -69.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 108°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 2.4" | 41.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 67 mi | 57 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 18.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.1 | 23.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 21 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.04 | 14.24 | 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
92243
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
45701
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 92243 — El Centro, CA · 45701 — Athens, OH · How this is calculated: methodology