35125 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29118
35125
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 25%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Growth
61 · Top 32%
vs73 · Top 12%
Climate
77 · Top 26%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
35 · Bottom 27%
vs41 · Bottom 32%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 15%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
83 · Bottom 25%
vs86 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 21%
vs32 · Bottom 10%
Measured values
| Metric | 29118 | 35125 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,135 | 11,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,167 | $59,891 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,278 | $26,730 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 198/sq mi | 238/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $176,600 | $183,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,016 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 69.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 33 | 113 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 8.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 200.0% | 6.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 52.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 29 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.01 | 16.61 | 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
29118
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
35125
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29118 — Orangeburg, SC · 35125 — Pell City, AL · How this is calculated: methodology