98944 and 72802 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
98944
72802
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 46%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Growth
68 · Top 18%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
43 · Bottom 33%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs98 · Top 14%
Access
64 · Bottom 8%
vs63 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs41 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 98944 | 72802 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,817 | 23,283 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,276 | $64,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,302 | $34,476 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 42/sq mi | 169/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $260,000 | $203,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $968 | $888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.8% | 77.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 30.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.8% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 78 | 50 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 110.8% | 72.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.6" | 46.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.0 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.7 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-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
98944
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
72802
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 98944 — Sunnyside, WA · 72802 — Russellville, AR · How this is calculated: methodology