Mount Vernon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wenatchee
Mount Vernon
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
52 · Top 46%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
66 · Bottom 37%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 29%
vs61 · Bottom 21%
Access
71 · Bottom 14%
vs62 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
63 · Top 45%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Wenatchee | Mount Vernon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,484 | 35,377 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,040 | $75,777 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,053 | $37,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,335/sq mi | 2,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $433,700 | $472,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,248 | $1,405 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.8% | 60.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.4% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 265 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.1% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 69°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.8" | 19.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.8 min | 25.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.67 | 17.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.8% | 65.8% | 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
Wenatchee
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, inland flooding.
Mount Vernon
Elevated or high exposure: volcanic activity, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Wenatchee
57
Your Score
54
Area Score
Mount Vernon
57
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Wenatchee, WA · Mount Vernon, WA · How this is calculated: methodology