29403 and 98225 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
29403
98225
Opportunity
83 · Top 5%
vs61 · Top 37%
Growth
78 · Top 6%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
23 · Bottom 1%
vs31 · Bottom 2%
Access
47 · Bottom 3%
vs47 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 20%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 29403 | 98225 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,533 | 50,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,944 | $63,941 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,758 | $42,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,174/sq mi | 3,978/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $674,000 | $631,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,798 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 32.9% | 40.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.9% | 50.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.8% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,446 | 621 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 35.9% | -18.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.3" | 34.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 85 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.0 | 31.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.22 | 18.09 | 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
29403
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
98225
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 29403 — Charleston, SC · 98225 — Bellingham, WA · How this is calculated: methodology