Athens receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Athens
Alcoa
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs68 · Top 25%
Growth
79 · Top 6%
vs88 · Top 1%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 48%
vs61 · Top 47%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs74 · Bottom 39%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 28%
vs54 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Athens | Alcoa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,002 | 12,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,922 | $65,714 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,717 | $40,886 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 693/sq mi | 821/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,000 | $277,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $899 | $1,282 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 66.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.4% | 34.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 478 | 258 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 21.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 8.4% | 177.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 51.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.9 | 35.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 4 | 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
Athens
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Alcoa
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, lightning, tornado.
Full profiles: Athens, AL · Alcoa, TN · How this is calculated: methodology