79720 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
79720
86401
Opportunity
19 · Bottom 2%
vs17 · Bottom 2%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
62 · Bottom 21%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
39 · Bottom 31%
vs21 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs80 · Top 50%
Access
97 · Top 32%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 14%
vs38 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | 79720 | 86401 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,936 | 30,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,785 | $66,129 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,930 | $35,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 30/sq mi | 25/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,500 | $281,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,032 | $1,123 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.2% | 72.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 6.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | -5.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.6% | 13.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 71 | 169 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1083.3% | -1.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.6" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 1 mi | 46 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 22.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.3 | 46.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.72 | 22.04 | 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
79720
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire.
86401
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 79720 — Big Spring, TX · 86401 — Kingman, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology