98926 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
86004
98926
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 10%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Growth
33 · Bottom 21%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
58 · Bottom 9%
vs66 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 17%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 17%
vs58 · Bottom 20%
Access
86 · Bottom 30%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 42%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | 86004 | 98926 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,394 | 34,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,172 | $71,137 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,358 | $38,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 40/sq mi | 37/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $509,900 | $470,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,676 | $1,338 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.8% | 52.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.8% | -4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.0% | 39.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 16.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 302 | 79 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.6% | -16.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.5" | 9.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.4 min | 21.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 30.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.59 | 17.83 | 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
86004
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
98926
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, earthquake.
Full profiles: 86004 — Flagstaff, AZ · 98926 — Ellensburg, WA · How this is calculated: methodology