Columbia and Speedway 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
Columbia
Speedway
Opportunity
70 · Top 22%
vs64 · Top 34%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs30 · Bottom 17%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 47%
vs67 · Top 41%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs80 · Bottom 49%
Access
93 · Top 45%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 18%
vs57 · Bottom 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | Speedway | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,278 | 13,968 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,437 | $60,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,896 | $34,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,258/sq mi | 2,919/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $196,500 | $228,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,075 | $1,141 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.8% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.3% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 34.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.4% | 17.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.1" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 34.5 | 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
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Speedway
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Columbia, PA · Speedway, IN · How this is calculated: methodology