Johnston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Indianola
Johnston
Opportunity
80 · Top 7%
vs86 · Top 2%
Growth
77 · Top 8%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs88 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
67 · Top 31%
vs78 · Top 16%
Access
89 · Bottom 38%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs69 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Indianola | Johnston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,044 | 24,384 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,453 | $106,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,086 | $57,529 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,403/sq mi | 1,251/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $237,500 | $369,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $986 | $1,338 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 70.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.4% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 104 | 178 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 7.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 108.0% | 42.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 14°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 36.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.4 min | 21.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.31 | 16.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 78.6% | 80.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.8% | 77.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.1% | 25.1% | 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
Indianola
Elevated or high exposure: drought, tornado, heat wave.
Johnston
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Indianola, IA · Johnston, IA · How this is calculated: methodology