Foley receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Beaufort
Foley
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs84 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Beaufort | Foley | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,747 | 24,026 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,220 | $66,336 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,044 | $37,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 561/sq mi | 682/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $289,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,212 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 70.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.0% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.6% | 24.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 11.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 73 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 13.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -89.9% | -51.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 40°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.0" | 65.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 36 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.2 | 52.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.04 | 16.16 | 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
Beaufort
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding, earthquake.
Foley
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Beaufort, SC · Foley, AL · How this is calculated: methodology