Signals
Wailuku
James Island
Opportunity
77 · Top 10%
vs89 · Top 1%
Climate
87 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
27 · Bottom 22%
vs33 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Access
36 · Bottom 1%
vs47 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
66 · Top 37%
vs71 · Top 27%
Measured values
| Metric | Wailuku | James Island | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,926 | 12,198 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $102,942 | $104,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,301 | $52,756 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,215/sq mi | 2,520/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $855,700 | $508,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,762 | $1,695 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.6% | 87.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.1% | 49.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.6% | 5.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 64°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.2" | 44.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 96 mi | 85 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 41.7 | 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
Wailuku
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding, tsunami.
James Island
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
Your best match
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Wailuku
58
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Area Score
James Island
66
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Area Score
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Full profiles: Wailuku, HI · James Island, SC · How this is calculated: methodology