Jonesboro receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Florence
Jonesboro
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs60 · Top 41%
Growth
68 · Top 22%
vs75 · Top 11%
Climate
76 · Top 14%
vs70 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 37%
vs47 · Bottom 38%
Housing affordability
93 · Bottom 44%
vs92 · Bottom 43%
Access
65 · Bottom 30%
vs77 · Top 49%
Economic stability
25 · Bottom 16%
vs40 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Florence | Jonesboro | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 199,675 | 135,792 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,443 | $56,738 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,571 | $32,407 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 147/sq mi | 93/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $170,800 | $192,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $934 | $929 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.6% | 60.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.3% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 26.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 990 | 993 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.0 | 7.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 22.2% | -0.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 48.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 44 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 35.3 | 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
Florence
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Jonesboro
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Full profiles: Florence, SC Metro Area · Jonesboro, AR Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology