29405 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98225
29405
Opportunity
61 · Top 37%
vs71 · Top 19%
Growth
59 · Top 35%
vs65 · Top 23%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
31 · Bottom 2%
vs55 · Bottom 18%
Access
47 · Bottom 3%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 98225 | 29405 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,216 | 26,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,941 | $56,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,441 | $36,556 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,978/sq mi | 1,793/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $631,200 | $307,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,523 | $1,253 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.3% | 50.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.1% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.2% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 621 | 1,004 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 8.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -18.4% | -33.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 52.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 85 mi | 83 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.8 | 40.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.09 | 11.67 | 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
98225
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
29405
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: 98225 — Bellingham, WA · 29405 — North Charleston, SC · How this is calculated: methodology