98225 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29404
98225
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs61 · Top 37%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
8 · Bottom 1%
vs31 · Bottom 2%
Access
49 · Bottom 3%
vs47 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
72 · Top 26%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 29404 | 98225 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,334 | 50,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,716 | $63,941 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,341 | $42,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 462/sq mi | 3,978/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,939 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 0.0% | 40.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.4% | 50.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,004 | 621 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.4 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -33.8% | -18.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.5" | 34.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 85 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 11.1 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 21.2 | 31.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.24 | 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
29404
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
98225
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 29404 — North Charleston, SC · 98225 — Bellingham, WA · How this is calculated: methodology