Tampa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hialeah
Tampa
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs64 · Top 25%
Climate
82 · Top 12%
vs81 · Top 13%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs35 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
27 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 13%
Schools
39 · Bottom 33%
vs50 · Bottom 47%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Hialeah | Tampa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 226,165 | 401,618 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,594 | $75,475 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,435 | $52,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 10,474/sq mi | 3,508/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $392,000 | $420,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,689 | $1,701 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.6% | 50.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 45.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.0% | 15.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 729 | 2,888 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 7.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.3% | 16.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 59°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.7" | 49.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.9 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.8 | 35.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 43 | 81 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.19 | 18.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.8% | 56.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 55.7% | 55.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.1% | 43.8% | 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
Hialeah
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Tampa
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Hialeah, FL · Tampa, FL · How this is calculated: methodology