Lawrence receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Anderson
Opportunity
72 · Top 20%
vs49 · Bottom 34%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs51 · Top 50%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs72 · Top 34%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 16%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
92 · Top 49%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
73 · Top 23%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Anderson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,517 | 55,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,022 | $46,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,079 | $28,833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,457/sq mi | 1,329/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $230,100 | $119,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,178 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 55.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.6% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 58 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.6% | -5.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.16 | 13.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.6% | 14.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.6% | 17.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.5% | 62.2% | 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
Lawrence
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Anderson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lawrence, IN · Anderson, IN · How this is calculated: methodology