98801 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
98801
98273
Opportunity
65 · Top 29%
vs62 · Top 36%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
66 · Bottom 38%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 38%
vs65 · Bottom 29%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs62 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | 98801 | 98273 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,426 | 30,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,488 | $76,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,268 | $39,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 296/sq mi | 357/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $461,200 | $492,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,265 | $1,287 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.8% | 61.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 265 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.1% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.8" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 60 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.6 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.67 | 17.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.8% | 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
98801
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, inland flooding.
98273
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: 98801 — Wenatchee, WA · 98273 — Mount Vernon, WA · How this is calculated: methodology