85298 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85212
85298
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 29%
vs55 · Top 50%
Growth
39 · Bottom 32%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs79 · Bottom 48%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
84 · Top 5%
vs82 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 85212 | 85298 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,283 | 44,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $125,902 | $156,425 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,850 | $59,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,433/sq mi | 2,815/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $584,000 | $652,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,209 | $2,785 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.1% | 91.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% | 53.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.4% | 3.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,478 | 500 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.1% | -69.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 31.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.1 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.35 | 16.85 | 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
85212
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
85298
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 85212 — Mesa, AZ · 85298 — Gilbert, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology