Lebanon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lebanon
Anderson
Opportunity
71 · Top 20%
vs49 · Bottom 34%
Growth
70 · Top 17%
vs51 · Top 50%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 40%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs72 · Top 34%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
57 · Top 42%
vs18 · Bottom 8%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Lebanon | Anderson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,812 | 55,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,154 | $46,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,583 | $28,833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,029/sq mi | 1,329/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $195,600 | $119,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 55.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 91 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 24.7% | -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 | 23 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.49 | 13.98 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.2% | 14.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.7% | 17.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 47.1% | 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
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Anderson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Full profiles: Lebanon, IN · Anderson, IN · How this is calculated: methodology