Allen and Murphy receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Allen
Murphy
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs70 · Top 17%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs65 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs67 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
87 · Top 6%
vs89 · Top 4%
Access
92 · Top 48%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
75 · Top 17%
vs84 · Top 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Allen | Murphy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,265 | 21,188 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,901 | $175,699 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $55,986 | $56,417 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,176/sq mi | 3,719/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $464,100 | $555,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,932 | $2,847 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 93.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.5% | 62.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 3.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,024 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.3 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.5% | 114.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 38.3" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.3 min | 35.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.25 | 14.87 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 69.0% | 68.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 67.0% | 64.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.6% | 24.9% | 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
Allen
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Murphy
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Allen, TX · Murphy, TX · How this is calculated: methodology