37405 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98273
37405
Opportunity
62 · Top 36%
vs67 · Top 26%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs73 · Top 39%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs42 · Bottom 32%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 29%
vs66 · Bottom 31%
Access
62 · Bottom 7%
vs49 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs56 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 98273 | 37405 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,001 | 18,109 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,717 | $81,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,235 | $71,405 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 357/sq mi | 333/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $492,300 | $460,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,287 | $1,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.4% | 48.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 53.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.8% | 13.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 993 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 5.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 2.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.9" | 55.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 86 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 19.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 3 | 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
98273
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
37405
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 98273 — Mount Vernon, WA · 37405 — Chattanooga, TN · How this is calculated: methodology