Signals
Birch Bay
Terrace Heights
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs57 · Top 48%
Climate
73 · Top 37%
vs64 · Bottom 31%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs83 · Top 46%
Access
34 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs52 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Birch Bay | Terrace Heights | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,837 | 10,041 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,854 | $83,016 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,034 | $39,820 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 634/sq mi | 955/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $477,200 | $377,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,222 | $1,196 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.1% | 62.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 28.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 73°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 98 mi | 67 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.6 min | 20.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.6 | 35.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.84 | 18.82 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 44.8% | 74.8% | 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
Birch Bay
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Terrace Heights
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, cold wave.
Your best match
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Birch Bay
55
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Area Score
Terrace Heights
57
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Area Score
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Full profiles: Birch Bay, WA · Terrace Heights, WA · How this is calculated: methodology