Carmel receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Carmel
Opportunity
72 · Top 20%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs76 · Top 8%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs76 · Top 30%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 16%
vs95 · Top 20%
Schools
12 · Bottom 3%
vs86 · Top 6%
Access
92 · Top 49%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
73 · Top 23%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Carmel | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,517 | 101,651 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,022 | $141,505 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,079 | $73,549 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,457/sq mi | 2,071/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $230,100 | $486,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,178 | $1,712 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 74.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.6% | 74.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 3.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 58 | 1,015 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 10.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.6% | 43.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 19 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 26.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.16 | 16.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.6% | 67.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.6% | 65.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.5% | 12.8% | 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.
Carmel
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lawrence, IN · Carmel, IN · How this is calculated: methodology