Petal receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Petal
Soddy-Daisy
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 43%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 39%
vs56 · Bottom 48%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs95 · Top 19%
Access
59 · Bottom 7%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 34%
vs59 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Petal | Soddy-Daisy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,294 | 13,231 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,750 | $75,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,999 | $36,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 668/sq mi | 571/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $174,900 | $256,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,047 | $1,047 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.0% | 75.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.8% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.1% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 44 | 25 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -2.2% | -57.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 58.9" | 55.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 69 mi | 76 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 45.6 | 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
Petal
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Soddy-Daisy
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Petal
67
Your Score
67
Area Score
Soddy-Daisy
63
Your Score
65
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Petal, MS · Soddy-Daisy, TN · How this is calculated: methodology