Howard receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Johnston
Howard
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs74 · Top 11%
Climate
59 · Bottom 10%
vs57 · Bottom 8%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs95 · Top 4%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs92 · Top 26%
Access
94 · Top 43%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Johnston | Howard | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,384 | 21,087 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,551 | $85,477 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,529 | $48,608 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,251/sq mi | 1,139/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $369,100 | $315,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,338 | $1,102 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 63.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.8% | 35.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 5.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 178 | 189 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.3 | 9.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.4% | 2.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 14°F | 11°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.5" | 31.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 21.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 41.2 | 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
Johnston
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Howard
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Johnston, IA · Howard, WI · How this is calculated: methodology