98284 and 98273 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
98273
Opportunity
63 · Top 34%
vs62 · Top 36%
Growth
47 · Bottom 43%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs65 · Bottom 29%
Access
56 · Bottom 5%
vs62 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 47%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | 98284 | 98273 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,835 | 30,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,006 | $76,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,294 | $39,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 99/sq mi | 357/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $482,500 | $492,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,556 | $1,287 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 61.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.7% | 0.0% | 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 | 60 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.21 | 17.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.1% | 65.8% | 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.
98273
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: 98284 — Sedro-Woolley, WA · 98273 — Mount Vernon, WA · How this is calculated: methodology