Wheeling receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Malvern
Wheeling
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs33 · Bottom 9%
Growth
25 · Bottom 12%
vs35 · Bottom 24%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs65 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs26 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs96 · Top 17%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs80 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
21 · Bottom 2%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Malvern | Wheeling | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,953 | 26,350 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,250 | $48,590 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $17,517 | $36,509 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,132/sq mi | 1,938/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,500 | $146,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $764 | $794 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.2% | 59.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 34.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.2% | 20.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.4% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.9" | 37.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 21.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 45.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.68 | 12.41 | 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
Malvern
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, lightning, hail.
Wheeling
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Malvern, AR · Wheeling, WV · How this is calculated: methodology