98284 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98284
98908
Opportunity
63 · Top 34%
vs56 · Top 46%
Growth
47 · Bottom 43%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Access
56 · Bottom 5%
vs53 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 47%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 98284 | 98908 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,835 | 38,060 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $93,006 | $84,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,294 | $40,591 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 99/sq mi | 360/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $482,500 | $383,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,556 | $1,367 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 68.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 33.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 256 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.7% | -9.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 71 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.21 | 18.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.1% | 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
98284
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
98908
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 98284 — Sedro-Woolley, WA · 98908 — Yakima, WA · How this is calculated: methodology