99354 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
99354
97306
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs68 · Top 24%
Growth
83 · Top 3%
vs74 · Top 10%
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 38%
vs42 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 41%
vs81 · Top 49%
Access
58 · Bottom 6%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
67 · Top 37%
vs70 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | 99354 | 97306 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,559 | 34,383 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,933 | $101,753 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,728 | $49,220 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,068/sq mi | 1,061/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $392,600 | $463,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,371 | $1,592 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.1% | 69.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.0% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 9.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 790 | 1,177 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 6.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 32.6% | 67.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.6" | 40.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 61 mi | 50 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 24.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 38.5 | 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
99354
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
97306
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 99354 — Richland, WA · 97306 — Salem, OR · How this is calculated: methodology