Signals
29617
29209
Opportunity
72 · Top 17%
vs60 · Top 40%
Climate
70 · Bottom 49%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs66 · Top 41%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs73 · Bottom 40%
Schools
30 · Bottom 23%
vs23 · Bottom 14%
Access
96 · Top 36%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 19%
vs46 · Bottom 27%
Measured values
| Metric | 29617 | 29209 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,582 | 38,041 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,403 | $58,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,578 | $37,989 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,187/sq mi | 720/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,500 | $206,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,079 | $1,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.9% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 40.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 91°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.0" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.51 | 14.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.3% | 21.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.8% | 26.1% | 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
29617
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
29209
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29617 — Berea, SC · 29209 — Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology