29407 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29486
29407
Opportunity
79 · Top 9%
vs87 · Top 2%
Growth
81 · Top 3%
vs78 · Top 6%
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 16%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs71 · Bottom 37%
Schools
61 · Top 37%
vs89 · Top 4%
Access
53 · Bottom 4%
vs47 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 47%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 29486 | 29407 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,975 | 36,706 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $89,578 | $85,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,950 | $60,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 866/sq mi | 2,388/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $367,700 | $451,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,748 | $1,431 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 78.0% | 56.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.3% | 49.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 11.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 561 | 1,446 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.7% | 35.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.5" | 44.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 80 mi | 84 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.4 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.6 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.67 | 14.37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 41.7% | 62.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 50.2% | 62.1% | 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
29486
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
29407
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29486 — Goose Creek, SC · 29407 — Charleston, SC · How this is calculated: methodology