98516 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98233
98516
Opportunity
62 · Top 35%
vs72 · Top 17%
Growth
80 · Top 4%
vs82 · Top 3%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 24%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs80 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 38%
vs56 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 98233 | 98516 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,850 | 29,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $87,614 | $98,892 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,379 | $47,679 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 538/sq mi | 1,012/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $502,100 | $572,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,708 | $2,068 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 65.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 9.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 200 | 788 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 20.0 | 13.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 38.9% | 141.0% | 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 | 67 mi | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 27.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 38.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.67 | 17.65 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.6% | 48.5% | 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
98233
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
98516
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 98233 — Burlington, WA · 98516 — Lacey, WA · How this is calculated: methodology