31788 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29506
31788
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 35%
vs52 · Bottom 43%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs69 · Top 17%
Climate
76 · Top 26%
vs79 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs49 · Bottom 40%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs87 · Top 38%
Access
68 · Bottom 11%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
22 · Bottom 4%
vs26 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | 29506 | 31788 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,777 | 11,301 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $40,311 | $47,325 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,380 | $23,780 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 172/sq mi | 88/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $123,300 | $132,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $798 | $931 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.8% | 66.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.3% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 28.6% | 25.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 474 | 165 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 11.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 45.0% | 205.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 50.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.4 | 37.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.99 | 13.28 | 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
29506
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
31788
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Full profiles: 29506 — Florence, SC · 31788 — Moultrie, GA · How this is calculated: methodology