85342 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85342
86429
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 9%
vs13 · Bottom 1%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs67 · Top 20%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 23%
vs21 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 36%
vs64 · Bottom 28%
Access
88 · Bottom 35%
vs97 · Top 32%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 8%
vs31 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 85342 | 86429 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,823 | 8,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,917 | $58,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,248 | $50,251 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5/sq mi | 31/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $343,600 | $349,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $850 | $1,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 90.3% | 65.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 7.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -5.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 17.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,428 | 359 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.7 | 8.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.3% | 34.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 99°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 44.0 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 49.4 | 60.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.60 | 13.75 | 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
85342
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
86429
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 85342 — Surprise, AZ · 86429 — Bullhead City, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology