State College receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kiryas Joel
State College
Opportunity: State College is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 38%
vs64 · Top 34%
Growth: Kiryas Joel is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
75 · Top 10%
vs69 · Top 18%
Climate: State College is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience: State College is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability: State College is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
12 · Bottom 1%
vs21 · Bottom 1%
Access: Kiryas Joel is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs56 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability: Kiryas Joel is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
27 · Bottom 4%
vs16 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Kiryas Joel | State College | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,916 | 41,050 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,032 | $45,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $14,440 | $24,746 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 26,618/sq mi | 8,967/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $758,800 | $437,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,604 | $1,273 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 33.4% | 26.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | 5.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.7% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.6% | 38.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 366 | 180 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 4.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -19.9% | 5900.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 71 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.6 min | 16.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 15.7 | 21.2 | 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
Kiryas Joel
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
State College
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Kiryas Joel
57
Your Score
56
Area Score
State College
58
Your Score
64
Area Score
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Full profiles: Kiryas Joel, NY · State College, PA · How this is calculated: methodology