98502 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98502
98221
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs69 · Top 21%
Growth
50 · Bottom 48%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 27%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Measured values
| Metric | 98502 | 98221 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,398 | 23,562 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,207 | $96,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,344 | $59,331 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 558/sq mi | 454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $537,200 | $713,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,689 | $1,691 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.4% | 73.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.0% | 47.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 217 | 28 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.2% | 47.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.6" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 65 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 51.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.48 | 18.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.9% | 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
98502
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
98221
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, volcanic activity, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: 98502 — Olympia, WA · 98221 — Anacortes, WA · How this is calculated: methodology