Signals
Albemarle
Smithfield
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs69 · Top 24%
Climate
78 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs63 · Top 45%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs74 · Bottom 39%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs25 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | Albemarle | Smithfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,762 | 12,116 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,881 | $43,270 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,131 | $30,986 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 931/sq mi | 954/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $204,800 | $242,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $880 | $658 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.3% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 6.0% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.9% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.3" | 52.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 44 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 27.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.5 | 44.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 16.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.7% | 27.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.9% | 40.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.8% | 99.0% | 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
Albemarle
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane.
Smithfield
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
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Albemarle
58
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Area Score
Smithfield
59
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Area Score
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Full profiles: Albemarle, NC · Smithfield, NC · How this is calculated: methodology