55434 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
55434
85304
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 31%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Growth
35 · Bottom 26%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Climate
54 · Bottom 3%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
56 · Bottom 48%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 43%
vs78 · Bottom 47%
Access
91 · Bottom 44%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
75 · Top 21%
vs62 · Top 46%
Measured values
| Metric | 55434 | 85304 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,029 | 29,861 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,336 | $86,927 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,866 | $38,350 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,702/sq mi | 5,465/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $301,100 | $379,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,733 | $1,514 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.2% | 81.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.5% | 24.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 96 | 462 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -51.3% | -18.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 104°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 7°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 30.7" | 8.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 27.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 41.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.83 | 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
55434
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hail, inland flooding.
85304
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 55434 — Blaine, MN · 85304 — Glendale, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology