98409 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95358
98409
Opportunity
29 · Bottom 7%
vs39 · Bottom 18%
Growth
63 · Top 26%
vs72 · Top 9%
Climate
77 · Top 26%
vs74 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 17%
vs32 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 32%
vs55 · Bottom 27%
Access
93 · Bottom 26%
vs89 · Bottom 15%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 26%
vs62 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | 95358 | 98409 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,469 | 27,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,924 | $73,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,441 | $40,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 262/sq mi | 3,899/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $431,900 | $394,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,594 | $1,645 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.0% | 44.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 22.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 15.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 768 | 1,267 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 247.5% | 155.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.3" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.1 min | 29.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.0 | 33.2 | 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
95358
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
98409
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 95358 — Modesto, CA · 98409 — Tacoma, WA · How this is calculated: methodology