Signals
Española
Columbus
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 7%
vs31 · Bottom 7%
Climate
56 · Bottom 8%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 27%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 45%
vs83 · Top 46%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs94 · Top 44%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs27 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | Española | Columbus | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,473 | 23,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,667 | $42,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,745 | $28,243 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,274/sq mi | 931/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $210,800 | $125,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $829 | $897 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 47.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -3.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.3% | 26.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.4% | 21.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 91°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 20.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 41.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.18 | 12.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 95.9% | 85.2% | 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.
New Mexico and Mississippi do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
Española
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Columbus
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Española, NM · Columbus, MS · How this is calculated: methodology