Tonawanda and Barberton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Tonawanda
Barberton
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 33%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs90 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs97 · Top 16%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Tonawanda | Barberton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,030 | 24,844 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,326 | $52,267 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,905 | $32,482 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,952/sq mi | 2,755/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $173,600 | $135,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $848 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.2% | 62.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.5% | 18.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 55 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.8% | -73.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.0" | 32.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.5 | 39.5 | 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
Tonawanda
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Barberton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Tonawanda, NY · Barberton, OH · How this is calculated: methodology