85131 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85131
85901
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 5%
vs20 · Bottom 2%
Growth
74 · Top 11%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
55 · Bottom 4%
vs66 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs21 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs73 · Bottom 39%
Access
77 · Bottom 18%
vs70 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 2%
vs25 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | 85131 | 85901 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,794 | 19,533 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $56,576 | $59,779 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,898 | $35,378 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 61/sq mi | 74/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $259,200 | $280,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $1,071 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.4% | 74.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 7.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | -4.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 28.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.8% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 177 | 102 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.2 | 8.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -24.7% | -33.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.9" | 15.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 45 mi | 43 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 24.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 48.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.48 | 18.38 | 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
85131
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, inland flooding.
85901
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: 85131 — Eloy, AZ · 85901 — Show Low, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology