Johnston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Johnston
Altoona
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs80 · Top 8%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs98 · Top 13%
Schools
78 · Top 16%
vs62 · Top 36%
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs95 · Top 35%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs73 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Johnston | Altoona | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,384 | 21,495 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,551 | $86,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,529 | $42,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,251/sq mi | 1,615/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $369,100 | $274,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,338 | $1,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 68.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.8% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 178 | 191 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 8.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.4% | 7.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 36.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.13 | 14.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 80.3% | 75.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 77.0% | 70.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 25.1% | 43.2% | 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
Johnston
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Altoona
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: Johnston, IA · Altoona, IA · How this is calculated: methodology