98284 and 98221 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
98284
98221
Opportunity
63 · Top 34%
vs69 · Top 21%
Growth
47 · Bottom 43%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
56 · Bottom 5%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 47%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Measured values
| Metric | 98284 | 98221 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,835 | 23,562 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,006 | $96,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,294 | $59,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 99/sq mi | 454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $482,500 | $713,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,556 | $1,691 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 73.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 47.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 28 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.7% | 47.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 71 mi | 65 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 51.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.21 | 18.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.1% | 32.8% | 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
98284
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
98221
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, volcanic activity, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: 98284 — Sedro-Woolley, WA · 98221 — Anacortes, WA · How this is calculated: methodology