98506 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98221
98506
Opportunity
69 · Top 21%
vs76 · Top 12%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs50 · Bottom 48%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 19%
vs73 · Bottom 39%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 27%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 98221 | 98506 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,562 | 18,497 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,528 | $91,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,331 | $53,973 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 454/sq mi | 824/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $713,100 | $490,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,691 | $1,461 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.2% | 66.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.0% | 50.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 28 | 217 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 47.4% | -26.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.9" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 65 mi | 35 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.6 | 48.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.75 | 18.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.8% | 42.9% | 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
98221
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, volcanic activity, coastal flooding.
98506
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 98221 — Anacortes, WA · 98506 — Olympia, WA · How this is calculated: methodology