New Castle and Frankfort 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
New Castle
Frankfort
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
68 · Bottom 40%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 43%
vs69 · Top 38%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
41 · Bottom 36%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | New Castle | Frankfort | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,367 | 15,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,606 | $57,412 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,155 | $26,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,371/sq mi | 1,976/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $98,000 | $138,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $781 | $898 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 60.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.3% | 11.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 15 | 33 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.4% | -5.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.3" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.8 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 33.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.47 | 15.22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.3% | 31.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.7% | 33.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.0% | 52.2% | 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
New Castle
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Frankfort
Elevated or high exposure: hail, earthquake, tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
New Castle
62
Your Score
65
Area Score
Frankfort
64
Your Score
64
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: New Castle, IN · Frankfort, IN · How this is calculated: methodology