98271 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85387
98271
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 33%
vs48 · Bottom 37%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs67 · Top 20%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs45 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
49 · Bottom 12%
vs56 · Bottom 18%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs76 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 40%
vs56 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 85387 | 98271 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,442 | 30,838 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $98,757 | $95,654 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,644 | $45,872 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 374/sq mi | 681/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $481,000 | $538,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,579 | $2,062 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 95.0% | 72.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.4% | 22.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.3% | 11.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,428 | 510 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.7 | 7.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.3% | -23.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 39 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 38.2 min | 33.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 50.2 | 39.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.69 | 17.46 | 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
85387
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
98271
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 85387 — Surprise, AZ · 98271 — Marysville, WA · How this is calculated: methodology