Signals
James Island
Summerville
Opportunity
89 · Top 1%
vs83 · Top 4%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs77 · Top 22%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 25%
vs22 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs78 · Bottom 45%
Access
47 · Bottom 3%
vs50 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs64 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | James Island | Summerville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,198 | 51,654 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,217 | $81,046 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,756 | $41,538 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,520/sq mi | 2,286/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $508,600 | $328,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,695 | $1,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 87.5% | 69.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.5% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 10.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 88°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.3" | 52.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 85 mi | 84 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.4 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 38.9 | 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
James Island
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
Summerville
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
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James Island
66
Your Score
—
Area Score
Summerville
64
Your Score
65
Area Score
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Full profiles: James Island, SC · Summerville, SC · How this is calculated: methodology