Joplin receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Florence
Joplin
Opportunity
59 · Top 45%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
76 · Top 25%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 33%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs88 · Top 36%
Access
65 · Bottom 9%
vs68 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 15%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Florence | Joplin | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,408 | 52,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,143 | $52,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,306 | $32,024 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,628/sq mi | 1,381/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $211,400 | $168,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $992 | $962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.4% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.3% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.9% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 474 | 257 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 45.0% | 11.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 45.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.2 min | 19.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.8 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.06 | 4.50 | 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
Florence
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Joplin
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, drought.
Full profiles: Florence, SC · Joplin, MO · How this is calculated: methodology