Anderson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Anderson
Richmond
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
51 · Top 50%
vs38 · Bottom 29%
Climate
68 · Bottom 40%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 34%
vs63 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 38%
vs91 · Top 28%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
78 · Bottom 20%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 11%
vs27 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | Anderson | Richmond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,367 | 35,581 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,909 | $45,399 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,833 | $28,724 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,329/sq mi | 1,467/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $119,000 | $114,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $925 | $822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.5% | 57.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.0% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 55 | 29 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -5.2% | -87.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 42.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 20.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.98 | 14.23 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.9% | 23.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 17.7% | 27.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.2% | 61.7% | 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
Anderson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Anderson, IN · Richmond, IN · How this is calculated: methodology