98273 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98273
98908
Opportunity
62 · Top 36%
vs56 · Top 46%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 29%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Access
62 · Bottom 7%
vs53 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 98273 | 98908 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,001 | 38,060 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,717 | $84,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,235 | $40,591 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 357/sq mi | 360/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $492,300 | $383,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,287 | $1,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.4% | 68.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 33.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.8% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 256 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.7 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -9.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.9" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.3 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.02 | 18.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 65.8% | 64.0% | 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.
98908
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 98273 — Mount Vernon, WA · 98908 — Yakima, WA · How this is calculated: methodology