Manchester-Nashua and St. Louis 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
Measured values
| Metric | Manchester-Nashua | St. Louis | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 426,378 | 2,810,850 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,545 | $80,196 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,111 | $45,864 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 486/sq mi | 357/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $421,100 | $244,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,623 | $1,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 70.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.5% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 10.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 699 | 6,385 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.4% | 1.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.4" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 39.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Manchester-Nashua
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
St. Louis
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, hail.
Your best match
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Full profiles: Manchester-Nashua, NH Metro Area · St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology