29680 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
27520
29680
Opportunity
82 · Top 6%
vs86 · Top 2%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs86 · Top 2%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs70 · Bottom 49%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 44%
vs64 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 47%
vs86 · Top 39%
Access
88 · Bottom 36%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
80 · Top 12%
vs75 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 27520 | 29680 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,014 | 35,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,322 | $86,716 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,157 | $40,850 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 678/sq mi | 1,231/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $320,900 | $305,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,605 | $1,545 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 78.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.4% | 40.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.3% | 8.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 390 | 226 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 8.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 5.4% | 79.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.1" | 47.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.9 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 36.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.16 | 17.22 | 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
27520
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
29680
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Full profiles: 27520 — Clayton, NC · 29680 — Simpsonville, SC · How this is calculated: methodology