29907 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29907
98502
Opportunity
80 · Top 7%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs64 · Bottom 27%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs74 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 43%
vs52 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | 29907 | 98502 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,190 | 35,398 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,446 | $92,207 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,482 | $49,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 359/sq mi | 558/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $428,000 | $537,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,765 | $1,689 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 85.1% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.0% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.5% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 217 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -89.9% | -26.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 40°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.0" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 43 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.56 | 17.48 | 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
29907
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
98502
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 29907 — Beaufort, SC · 98502 — Olympia, WA · How this is calculated: methodology