29302 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29803
29302
Opportunity
70 · Top 21%
vs63 · Top 33%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
74 · Top 33%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 37%
vs69 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 22%
vs94 · Top 23%
Schools
56 · Top 45%
vs78 · Top 16%
Access
94 · Top 45%
vs85 · Bottom 28%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 30%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | 29803 | 29302 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,699 | 19,918 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,023 | $80,819 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,681 | $45,011 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 319/sq mi | 393/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,800 | $285,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,150 | $1,080 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.3% | 70.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.1% | 39.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 139 | 33 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -70.4% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.1" | 49.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.2 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 48.4 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.96 | 7.06 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 39.9% | 47.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.9% | 50.7% | 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
29803
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
29302
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29803 — Aiken, SC · 29302 — Spartanburg, SC · How this is calculated: methodology