Albany receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sweet Home
Albany
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 14%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs30 · Bottom 17%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 23%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Schools
22 · Bottom 13%
vs45 · Bottom 42%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 19%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Sweet Home | Albany | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,078 | 56,839 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,927 | $78,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,957 | $37,281 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,899/sq mi | 3,184/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $273,300 | $389,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,213 | $1,372 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 58.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.3% | 29.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 52 | 21 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 36.8% | -32.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 54.5" | 41.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.0 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.4 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.09 | 19.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.1% | 28.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.5% | 40.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.7% | 77.3% | 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
Sweet Home
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Albany
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.
Sweet Home
53
Your Score
49
Area Score
Albany
55
Your Score
52
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Sweet Home, OR · Albany, OR · How this is calculated: methodology