Plum receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Plum
Whitehall
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs82 · Top 5%
Growth
32 · Bottom 19%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
65 · Bottom 34%
vs65 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs81 · Top 22%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
89 · Bottom 41%
vs95 · Top 37%
Economic stability
76 · Top 14%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Plum | Whitehall | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,723 | 14,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,705 | $89,404 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,609 | $51,601 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 935/sq mi | 4,454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $227,600 | $236,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,177 | $915 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.7% | 75.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.4% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.0% | 43.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.6% | 6.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -53.6% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.3" | 41.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.6 min | 32.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.4 | 43.2 | 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.
Full profiles: Plum, PA · Whitehall, PA · How this is calculated: methodology