29902 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29906
29902
Opportunity
68 · Top 23%
vs72 · Top 17%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs68 · Top 18%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs17 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs59 · Bottom 21%
Schools
48 · Bottom 45%
vs51 · Bottom 48%
Access
81 · Bottom 23%
vs80 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 45%
vs55 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | 29906 | 29902 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,342 | 17,650 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,174 | $69,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,799 | $38,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 564/sq mi | 973/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $265,300 | $349,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,475 | $1,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.8% | 64.0% | 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 | 24.9% | 38.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 53 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 3.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -89.9% | 211.8% | 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 | 34 mi | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.4 | 31.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.26 | 8.40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.4% | 31.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.6% | 40.5% | 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
29906
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
29902
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29906 — Beaufort, SC · 29902 — Port Royal, SC · How this is calculated: methodology