Tarpon Springs vs Albany

Which is the better fit for you?

Tarpon Springs, FL
50
Area Score
Bottom 21% nationally
Albany, OR
49
Area Score
Bottom 16% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Tarpon Springs receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Tarpon Springs to Albany

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Everyday prices
2% higher
Regional price level 104.7 against 102.5 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$412 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,695 in Albany against $2,107 in Tarpon Springs.
The median home
14% more
$389,200 in Albany against $340,700 in Tarpon Springs.
The weather you would swap
Winters 19°F colder
Normal January lows are 34°F in Albany against 53°F in Tarpon Springs; July highs are 82°F against 90°F (summers 8°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

24 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Tarpon Springs
Albany
Opportunity: Albany is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs
46 · Bottom 28%
Growth: Albany is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
22 · Bottom 6%
vs
28 · Bottom 12%
Climate: Tarpon Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
82 · Top 11%
vs
73 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
34 · Bottom 27%
vs
34 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability: Tarpon Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 37%
vs
56 · Bottom 30%
Schools: Tarpon Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
51 · Top 48%
vs
48 · Bottom 48%
Access: Tarpon Springs is the more favorable of the two.
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs
78 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability: Albany is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 35%
vs
53 · Bottom 42%

Measured values

MetricTarpon SpringsAlbanySource period
Population25,79156,8392024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$79,529 ±$14,855$78,114 ±$3,5242024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$58,514 — more favorable$37,2812024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,785/sq mi3,184/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$340,700$389,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,298 ±$67$1,372 ±$472024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,107$1,695 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.5 — more favorable104.72023
Homeownership rate81.0%58.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.7% — more favorable5.3%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.2%−1.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher34.7% — more favorable29.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate8.7% — more favorable12.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)172112 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents0.7 — more favorable0.412 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−97.3%−32.3%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high90°F82°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low53°F34°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation53.6"41.5"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport18 mi — more favorable35 miNASR current cycle
Average commute31.2 min22.4 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age55.437.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools6212024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.6 — more favorable19.12024-25 school year
Math proficiency59.4%37.3%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency59.3%57.9%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility43.3%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.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Florida and Oregon do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.

Physical risk tradeoff

Tarpon Springs

Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.

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.

Tarpon Springs
—
Tarpon Springs: Your Score
50
Area Score
Albany
—
Albany: Your Score
49
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Tarpon Springs, FL · Albany, OR · How this is calculated: methodology