Altoona receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Altoona
Kingston
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
45 · Bottom 40%
vs38 · Bottom 29%
Climate
64 · Bottom 31%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
87 · Top 14%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs88 · Top 35%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs53 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 18%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Altoona | Kingston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,196 | 13,397 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,250 | $55,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,593 | $38,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,412/sq mi | 6,243/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $119,900 | $172,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $819 | $1,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 52.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.7% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 31.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.7" | 38.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 81 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.5 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.9 | 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.
Full profiles: Altoona, PA · Kingston, PA · How this is calculated: methodology