98012 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98012
98028
Opportunity
55 · Top 49%
vs52 · Bottom 43%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs19 · Bottom 6%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 34%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 33%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Access
87 · Bottom 32%
vs91 · Bottom 45%
Economic stability
86 · Top 4%
vs80 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | 98012 | 98028 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,041 | 23,741 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $146,144 | $139,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,037 | $74,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,920/sq mi | 3,858/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $876,600 | $920,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,373 | $1,949 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.4% | 69.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.9% | 61.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 14 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 72°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 37.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.6 min | 31.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.24 | 19.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.2% | 24.2% | 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
98012
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
98028
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 98012 — Mill Creek, WA · 98028 — Kenmore, WA · How this is calculated: methodology