Rome receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Abilene
Rome
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs73 · Top 19%
Growth
92 · Top 1%
vs77 · Top 9%
Climate
66 · Top 50%
vs71 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 40%
vs55 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 49%
vs95 · Top 48%
Access
41 · Bottom 7%
vs61 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 46%
vs42 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Abilene | Rome | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 180,408 | 99,693 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,328 | $65,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,225 | $34,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 66/sq mi | 196/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $178,700 | $217,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,141 | $1,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 63.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,915 | 402 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.6 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 128.2% | 31.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.2" | 50.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 88 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 38.2 | 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.
Rome
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Abilene, TX Metro Area · Rome, GA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology