Athens and Madison 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
Athens
Madison
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs84 · Top 4%
Growth
79 · Top 6%
vs62 · Top 29%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 48%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 28%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Athens | Madison | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,002 | 60,106 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,922 | $134,655 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,717 | $56,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 693/sq mi | 1,966/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $270,000 | $398,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $899 | $1,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 74.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.4% | 64.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 4.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 478 | 422 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 8.4% | -65.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 54.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.9 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.79 | 16.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.5% | 26.2% | 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.
Madison
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Athens, AL · Madison, AL · How this is calculated: methodology