97527 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
86303
97527
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 5%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
68 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
16 · Bottom 11%
vs16 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 14%
vs56 · Bottom 18%
Access
68 · Bottom 10%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 7%
vs36 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | 86303 | 97527 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,446 | 37,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,359 | $66,975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,162 | $38,397 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 181/sq mi | 170/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $563,000 | $429,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,365 | $1,339 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 72.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 7.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -0.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.9% | 19.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 332 | 147 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 3.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -51.5% | 2.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.8" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 59 mi | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.1 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 60.3 | 47.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.92 | 19.39 | 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
86303
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
97527
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 86303 — Prescott, AZ · 97527 — Grants Pass, OR · How this is calculated: methodology