29680 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29680
27545
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs83 · Top 5%
Growth
86 · Top 2%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
70 · Bottom 49%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
64 · Top 44%
vs72 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 39%
vs83 · Top 46%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs92 · Bottom 46%
Economic stability
75 · Top 21%
vs72 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | 29680 | 27545 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,770 | 34,163 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,716 | $91,527 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,850 | $40,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,231/sq mi | 1,080/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $305,400 | $346,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,545 | $1,652 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 70.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 4.0% | 0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 40.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 10.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 226 | 747 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 37.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 79.4% | 33.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.0" | 46.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.2 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.22 | 14.23 | 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
29680
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
27545
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 29680 — Simpsonville, SC · 27545 — Knightdale, NC · How this is calculated: methodology