College Station and Clemson 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
College Station
Clemson
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
86 · Top 1%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs79 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs63 · Top 46%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 6%
vs46 · Bottom 7%
Access
60 · Bottom 7%
vs85 · Bottom 29%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 11%
vs27 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | College Station | Clemson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 124,570 | 18,072 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,900 | $49,520 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,948 | $37,246 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,435/sq mi | 2,275/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $346,700 | $398,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,194 | $1,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 35.4% | 34.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.5% | 59.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.2% | 36.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,881 | 267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.1 | 14.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 66.2% | 14.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.8" | 49.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 70 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.9 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 22.9 | 24.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 14.70 | 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
College Station
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Clemson
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
College Station
64
Your Score
66
Area Score
Clemson
63
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: College Station, TX · Clemson, SC · How this is calculated: methodology