Raytown receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hanover
Raytown
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs70 · Top 22%
Growth
64 · Top 26%
vs52 · Top 47%
Climate
64 · Bottom 31%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs72 · Top 34%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs93 · Top 26%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs87 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 43%
vs58 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Hanover | Raytown | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,584 | 29,445 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,293 | $68,840 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,446 | $36,203 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,487/sq mi | 2,965/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $212,800 | $182,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,137 | $1,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.4% | 65.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.9% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 22.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 18 | 10 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 800.0% | 900.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.1" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 24.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 40.9 | 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
Hanover
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Raytown
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Hanover, PA · Raytown, MO · How this is calculated: methodology