Texarkana receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Texarkana
Albany
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 15%
vs32 · Bottom 10%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs47 · Bottom 46%
Climate
72 · Top 31%
vs71 · Top 34%
Physical resilience
44 · Bottom 35%
vs40 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
94 · Bottom 49%
vs95 · Top 47%
Access
53 · Bottom 15%
vs54 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 10%
vs23 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Texarkana | Albany | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 146,296 | 146,018 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,646 | $56,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,330 | $29,934 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 72/sq mi | 92/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $160,600 | $157,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 56.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.6% | 23.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.6% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 347 | 459 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 92.8% | 94.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.9" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 75 mi | 77 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 38.1 | 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
Texarkana
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.
Albany
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, drought, cold wave.
Full profiles: Texarkana, TX-AR Metro Area · Albany, GA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology