29902 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29902
29906
Opportunity
72 · Top 17%
vs68 · Top 23%
Growth
68 · Top 18%
vs52 · Top 47%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs17 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 21%
vs72 · Bottom 38%
Schools
51 · Bottom 48%
vs48 · Bottom 45%
Access
80 · Bottom 21%
vs81 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 42%
vs57 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | 29902 | 29906 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,650 | 25,342 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,752 | $68,174 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,526 | $31,799 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 973/sq mi | 564/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $349,100 | $265,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,513 | $1,475 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 50.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.0% | 2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 24.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 11.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 53 | 73 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 5.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 211.8% | -89.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 40°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.0" | 45.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.8 | 30.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 8.40 | 12.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.0% | 30.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.5% | 40.6% | 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
29902
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
29906
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29902 — Port Royal, SC · 29906 — Beaufort, SC · How this is calculated: methodology