98021 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98074
98021
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 39%
vs54 · Bottom 49%
Growth
41 · Bottom 35%
vs37 · Bottom 27%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
40 · Bottom 31%
vs45 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 41%
vs76 · Bottom 44%
Access
92 · Bottom 48%
vs89 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
82 · Top 8%
vs87 · Top 3%
Measured values
| Metric | 98074 | 98021 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,761 | 35,631 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $244,362 | $183,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $97,647 | $79,080 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,933/sq mi | 3,512/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,366,900 | $967,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,799 | $2,655 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 81.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 79.9% | 62.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 3.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 65 | 109 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 91.2% | -66.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.8" | 37.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.3 min | 34.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.66 | 18.25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 4.5% | 19.6% | 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
98074
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
98021
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 98074 — Sammamish, WA · 98021 — Bothell, WA · How this is calculated: methodology