98935 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
85546
98935
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 9%
vs42 · Bottom 24%
Growth
71 · Top 14%
vs83 · Top 3%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 21%
vs90 · Top 33%
Access
40 · Bottom 2%
vs44 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 9%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | 85546 | 98935 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,809 | 4,289 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,832 | $61,316 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,862 | $20,470 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 30/sq mi | 17/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $199,800 | $225,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $980 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 65.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.4% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 6.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.3% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 42 | 166 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 14.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 162.5% | 29.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 100°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 34°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.0" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 89 mi | 83 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 29.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 27.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.19 | 18.35 | 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.
98935
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 85546 — Safford, AZ · 98935 — Grandview, WA · How this is calculated: methodology