85338 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85396
85338
Opportunity
43 · Bottom 26%
vs44 · Bottom 28%
Growth
77 · Top 7%
vs76 · Top 8%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 40%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Access
92 · Bottom 48%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs75 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 85396 | 85338 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,181 | 67,451 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,056 | $101,744 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,821 | $41,070 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 423/sq mi | 887/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $482,900 | $436,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,243 | $1,918 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.7% | 77.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 33.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 5.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,562 | 2,148 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 24.4 | 20.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.9% | -14.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.6 min | 32.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.23 | 21.88 | 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
85396
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
85338
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: 85396 — Buckeye, AZ · 85338 — Goodyear, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology