98020 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98005
98020
Opportunity
55 · Top 49%
vs56 · Top 46%
Growth
71 · Top 13%
vs72 · Top 13%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
40 · Bottom 31%
vs45 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 17%
vs61 · Bottom 23%
Access
95 · Top 43%
vs89 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability
73 · Top 25%
vs72 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | 98005 | 98020 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,846 | 19,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $160,849 | $130,319 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $101,557 | $95,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,977/sq mi | 3,778/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,519,500 | $1,031,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,389 | $1,978 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 74.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.2% | 61.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.9% | 3.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,767 | 452 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.6 | 10.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 200.5% | 841.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.8" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 51.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.40 | 17.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 23.6% | 37.6% | 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
98005
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
98020
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 98005 — Bellevue, WA · 98020 — Edmonds, WA · How this is calculated: methodology