31558 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
31558
29582
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs68 · Top 23%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs87 · Top 1%
Climate
88 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 21%
vs21 · Bottom 15%
Housing affordability
83 · Top 45%
vs66 · Bottom 30%
Access
90 · Bottom 40%
vs89 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 19%
vs32 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 31558 | 29582 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,591 | 20,158 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,268 | $71,723 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,708 | $50,851 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 315/sq mi | 920/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $297,000 | $413,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,265 | $1,258 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.8% | 81.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 38.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 7.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 241 | 1,008 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 50.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 60.7% | 21.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.2" | 48.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 61.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.84 | 15.78 | 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
31558
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire, coastal flooding.
29582
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: 31558 — St. Marys, GA · 29582 — North Myrtle Beach, SC · How this is calculated: methodology