29118 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
77630
29118
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 21%
vs43 · Bottom 25%
Growth
65 · Top 23%
vs61 · Top 32%
Climate
76 · Top 28%
vs77 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs35 · Bottom 27%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 27%
vs98 · Top 15%
Access
75 · Bottom 16%
vs83 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 14%
vs41 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 77630 | 29118 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,983 | 15,135 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,373 | $64,167 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,267 | $33,278 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 303/sq mi | 198/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $174,800 | $176,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,145 | $1,016 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 6.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 35.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 13.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 119 | 33 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.2 | 2.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.8% | 200.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.1" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 41.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.55 | 17.01 | 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
77630
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
29118
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 77630 — Orange, TX · 29118 — Orangeburg, SC · How this is calculated: methodology