Signals
Waianae
Murrells Inlet
Opportunity
70 · Top 22%
vs71 · Top 21%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 15%
vs20 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Access
93 · Top 46%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
45 · Bottom 25%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Waianae | Murrells Inlet | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,918 | 10,044 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,733 | $77,438 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,053 | $69,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,395/sq mi | 1,373/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $518,300 | $366,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,277 | $1,751 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 86.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 7.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 65°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.9" | 48.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 46.3 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 60.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.49 | 16.35 | 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
Waianae
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, tsunami.
Murrells Inlet
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
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Waianae
58
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Murrells Inlet
61
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Full profiles: Waianae, HI · Murrells Inlet, SC · How this is calculated: methodology