Signals
Birch Bay
Forest
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs61 · Top 40%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs71 · Top 35%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs87 · Top 39%
Access
34 · Bottom 1%
vs36 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs60 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Birch Bay | Forest | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,837 | 13,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,854 | $81,552 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,034 | $42,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 634/sq mi | 987/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $477,200 | $319,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,222 | $1,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 75.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 45.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 9.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 73°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 42.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 98 mi | 95 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.6 min | 23.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.6 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.84 | 16.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.8% | 22.6% | 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.
Washington and Virginia do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Physical risk tradeoff
Birch Bay
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Forest
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Birch Bay, WA · Forest, VA · How this is calculated: methodology