Auburn receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Dunkirk
Auburn
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 11%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
6 · Bottom 1%
vs5 · Bottom 1%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 47%
vs66 · Top 43%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs93 · Top 25%
Schools
27 · Bottom 19%
vs27 · Bottom 19%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs88 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs33 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Dunkirk | Auburn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,549 | 26,285 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,299 | $51,052 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,787 | $30,134 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,761/sq mi | 3,154/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $94,700 | $152,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $866 | $897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 48.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 19.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 15°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 44.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 44 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 20.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.7 | 41.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.00 | 9.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.6% | 20.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.5% | 31.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 74.6% | 60.9% | 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
Dunkirk
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Dunkirk, NY · Auburn, NY · How this is calculated: methodology