Rebuild or replace rear wheel on Giant Escape 2 (2016)?
You're not peloton-svelte, so I'd recommend a 36 spoke rear wheel/rim that otherwise duplicates all the measurements of the stock rim.

More spokes is a stronger-better wheel.  40 and 48 spoke is also possible, but they're a bit more rare.

A $500 USD bike is better than a BSO, but it will still have average wheels at best.   An upgrade to the rear wheel is a good idea, if you like the bike and it fits you well.   Shop around, you might find a pair for fair price, being not a lot more than a single.

The other option is to buy a rim/spokes/hub separately and have a good LBS build it for you.