98506 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29928
98506
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 19%
vs73 · Bottom 39%
Access
84 · Bottom 27%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 10%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 29928 | 98506 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,785 | 18,497 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,576 | $91,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $91,192 | $53,973 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 762/sq mi | 824/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $797,700 | $490,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,541 | $1,461 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.3% | 66.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.9% | 50.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 138 | 217 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -38.9% | -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 | 26 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.4 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 63.2 | 48.4 | 2024 ACS 5-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
29928
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
98506
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 29928 — Hilton Head Island, SC · 98506 — Olympia, WA · How this is calculated: methodology