Jamestown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Dunkirk
Jamestown
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 11%
vs25 · Bottom 3%
Growth
6 · Bottom 1%
vs29 · Bottom 16%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 47%
vs61 · Top 47%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs93 · Top 24%
Schools
27 · Bottom 19%
vs40 · Bottom 34%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs73 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs28 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Dunkirk | Jamestown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,549 | 28,188 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,299 | $43,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,787 | $26,557 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,761/sq mi | 3,167/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $94,700 | $87,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $866 | $759 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 49.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 21.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.3% | 25.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | 200.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 33.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 44 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 16.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.7 | 39.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.00 | 10.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.6% | 32.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 38.5% | 44.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 74.6% | 68.5% | 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.
Jamestown
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Dunkirk, NY · Jamestown, NY · How this is calculated: methodology