Carmel receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fishers
Carmel
Opportunity
83 · Top 5%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs76 · Top 8%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 30%
vs76 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
75 · Top 20%
vs86 · Top 6%
Access
89 · Bottom 40%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
82 · Top 4%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Fishers | Carmel | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 102,337 | 101,651 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,203 | $141,505 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,737 | $73,549 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,828/sq mi | 2,071/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $391,000 | $486,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,611 | $1,712 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 76.2% | 74.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66.4% | 74.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 3.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 577 | 1,015 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 10.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.5% | 43.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.78 | 16.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 58.5% | 67.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.5% | 65.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.7% | 12.8% | 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
Fishers
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Carmel
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Fishers, IN · Carmel, IN · How this is calculated: methodology