North Charleston and Mount Vernon receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | North Charleston | Mount Vernon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 119,913 | 35,377 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,956 | $75,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,019 | $37,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,538/sq mi | 2,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $302,200 | $472,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,430 | $1,405 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.8% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,004 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.4 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -33.8% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.5" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.6 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 50 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.23 | 17.02 | 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
North Charleston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Mount Vernon
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Your best match
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Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: North Charleston, SC · Mount Vernon, WA · How this is calculated: methodology