Boone receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Boone
Evanston
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs54 · Bottom 44%
Growth
27 · Bottom 14%
vs39 · Bottom 30%
Climate
57 · Bottom 8%
vs55 · Bottom 4%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs92 · Top 26%
Access
77 · Bottom 19%
vs78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs62 · Top 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Boone | Evanston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,424 | 11,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,222 | $76,516 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,117 | $42,167 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,359/sq mi | 1,150/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $173,000 | $280,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $831 | $805 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 71.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 8.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 13 | 17 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -93.1% | -29.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 11°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.9" | 9.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 44 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 18.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.3 | 36.0 | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Boone
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, cold wave.
Evanston
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Boone, IA · Evanston, WY · How this is calculated: methodology