85120 and 78599 receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
85120
78599
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 6%
vs38 · Bottom 17%
Growth
91 · Top 1%
vs85 · Top 2%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs94 · Top 23%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs84 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 10%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 85120 | 78599 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,191 | 35,454 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,786 | $58,349 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,738 | $20,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,351/sq mi | 1,337/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $161,500 | $125,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 | $1,007 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.2% | 68.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 7.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,494 | 685 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 36.4 | 16.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 59.3% | 42.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 53°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 22.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 24.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 56.6 | 27.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.61 | 18.12 | 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
85120
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, inland flooding.
78599
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, hurricane, hail.
Full profiles: 85120 — Apache Junction, AZ · 78599 — Weslaco, TX · How this is calculated: methodology