Calera and Helena 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
Calera
Helena
Opportunity
67 · Top 27%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
74 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs91 · Bottom 48%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs80 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Calera | Helena | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,714 | 21,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,194 | $115,139 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,054 | $52,640 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 729/sq mi | 975/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $235,300 | $330,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,601 | $1,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 91.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.1% | 51.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 3.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 244 | 53 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.2% | -5.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 56.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.6 min | 33.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 37.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.10 | 17.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 62.5% | 27.9% | 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
Calera
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Helena
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Calera, AL · Helena, AL · How this is calculated: methodology