Opelousas and Selma 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
Opelousas
Selma
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 2%
vs21 · Bottom 2%
Growth
21 · Bottom 8%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 32%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs82 · Top 47%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs76 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
17 · Bottom 1%
vs24 · Bottom 3%
Measured values
| Metric | Opelousas | Selma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,495 | 17,057 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $32,964 | $33,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,531 | $25,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,602/sq mi | 1,235/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $105,100 | $96,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $717 | $713 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.8% | 46.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 6.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.7% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.4% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.8" | 53.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 38.5 | 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
Opelousas
Elevated or high exposure: drought, hurricane, inland flooding.
Selma
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, strong wind.
Full profiles: Opelousas, LA · Selma, AL · How this is calculated: methodology