79606 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
79606
99354
Opportunity
75 · Top 13%
vs72 · Top 18%
Growth
88 · Top 1%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
66 · Bottom 39%
vs63 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
48 · Bottom 40%
vs47 · Bottom 38%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs86 · Top 41%
Access
46 · Bottom 3%
vs58 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs67 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | 79606 | 99354 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,182 | 25,559 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,196 | $91,933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,942 | $46,728 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 420/sq mi | 1,068/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $272,600 | $392,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,194 | $1,371 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.0% | 60.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.8% | 43.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,757 | 790 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.7 | 12.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 125.0% | 32.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 25.2" | 7.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 80 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 21.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.3 | 34.5 | 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
79606
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
99354
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 79606 — Abilene, TX · 99354 — Richland, WA · How this is calculated: methodology