29455 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29455
29486
Opportunity
92 · Top 1%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
78 · Top 6%
vs81 · Top 3%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs22 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Schools
42 · Bottom 37%
vs61 · Top 37%
Access
53 · Bottom 4%
vs53 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 30%
vs58 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 29455 | 29486 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,576 | 53,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $121,372 | $89,578 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $80,015 | $38,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 275/sq mi | 866/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $590,800 | $367,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,567 | $1,748 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.2% | 78.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.5% | 34.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,446 | 561 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 11.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 35.9% | 42.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.3" | 52.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 75 mi | 80 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.4 min | 35.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 49.8 | 35.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.70 | 15.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 33.6% | 41.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.3% | 50.2% | 2019-20 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
29455
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
29486
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 29455 — Charleston, SC · 29486 — Goose Creek, SC · How this is calculated: methodology