Signals
Cheat Lake
Meridianville
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs77 · Top 11%
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs92 · Top 50%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs72 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheat Lake | Meridianville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,902 | 11,150 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $117,014 | $97,434 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $67,787 | $44,739 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 760/sq mi | 717/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $367,600 | $291,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,124 | $1,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 92.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.8% | 43.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.5% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 84°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 54.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 27.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.67 | 17.17 | 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
Cheat Lake
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Meridianville
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cheat Lake
74
Your Score
—
Area Score
Meridianville
77
Your Score
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Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cheat Lake, WV · Meridianville, AL · How this is calculated: methodology