Madison and Athens receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Madison
Athens
Opportunity
84 · Top 4%
vs73 · Top 17%
Growth
62 · Top 29%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs61 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs90 · Top 31%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Madison | Athens | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,106 | 29,002 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $134,655 | $69,922 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $56,185 | $42,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,966/sq mi | 693/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $398,800 | $270,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,453 | $899 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 64.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.5% | 31.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 422 | 478 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 16.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -65.1% | 8.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.3" | 49.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.9 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 40.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.75 | 17.79 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 26.2% | 53.5% | 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
Madison
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Athens
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Madison, AL · Athens, AL · How this is calculated: methodology