Chelsea and Hoover 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
Chelsea
Hoover
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs71 · Top 20%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
74 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 11%
vs91 · Top 29%
Access
91 · Bottom 48%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs74 · Top 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Chelsea | Hoover | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,260 | 92,642 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,337 | $109,253 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,712 | $57,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 498/sq mi | 1,865/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $360,000 | $412,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,414 | $1,457 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.0% | 71.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.5% | 62.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.7% | 5.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 155 | 691 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.5 | 7.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.9% | 61.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 56.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.8 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.05 | 15.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.4% | 27.7% | 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
Chelsea
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Hoover
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Chelsea, AL · Hoover, AL · How this is calculated: methodology