Fort Payne and Boaz receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Fort Payne
Boaz
Opportunity
60 · Top 41%
vs55 · Bottom 48%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs62 · Top 30%
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 16%
vs89 · Top 34%
Access
63 · Bottom 8%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
27 · Bottom 5%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Payne | Boaz | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,927 | 10,814 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $47,479 | $49,846 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,126 | $24,915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 265/sq mi | 743/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,000 | $199,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $679 | $663 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 66.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.3% | 15.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 32.5% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 24 | 24 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -4.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.2" | 57.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 63 mi | 47 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.3 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 32.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.54 | 17.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.9% | 66.3% | 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
Fort Payne
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
Boaz
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fort Payne
60
Your Score
63
Area Score
Boaz
63
Your Score
63
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fort Payne, AL · Boaz, AL · How this is calculated: methodology