Abilene receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Abilene
Joplin
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
92 · Top 1%
vs62 · Top 31%
Climate
66 · Top 50%
vs71 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 40%
vs42 · Bottom 32%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 49%
vs100 · Top 27%
Access
41 · Bottom 7%
vs67 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 46%
vs51 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Abilene | Joplin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 180,408 | 203,626 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,328 | $61,901 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,225 | $32,117 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 66/sq mi | 110/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $178,700 | $165,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 | $928 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 67.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 24.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,915 | 691 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.6 | 3.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 128.2% | -2.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.2" | 45.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 88 mi | 57 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 21.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 38.3 | 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
Abilene
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire.
Joplin
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, drought, cold wave.
Full profiles: Abilene, TX Metro Area · Joplin, MO-KS Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology