38901 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85546
38901
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 9%
vs37 · Bottom 17%
Growth
71 · Top 14%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs95 · Top 21%
Access
40 · Bottom 2%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 9%
vs27 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | 85546 | 38901 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,809 | 17,832 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,832 | $48,848 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,862 | $28,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 30/sq mi | 74/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $199,800 | $149,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 64.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.3% | 25.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 42 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 1.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 162.5% | 850.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 100°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.0" | 51.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 89 mi | 71 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.19 | 14.47 | 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
85546
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, drought, inland flooding.
38901
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 85546 — Safford, AZ · 38901 — Grenada, MS · How this is calculated: methodology