98499 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
86314
98499
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 6%
vs32 · Bottom 11%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
68 · Bottom 45%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
16 · Bottom 11%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 16%
vs53 · Bottom 15%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs87 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 86314 | 98499 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,317 | 32,464 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,208 | $67,292 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,801 | $41,917 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,518/sq mi | 3,671/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $387,000 | $408,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,536 | $1,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 37.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 18.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 240 | 396 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.8% | -7.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.8" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 31.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.2 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.83 | 16.23 | 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
86314
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
98499
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: 86314 — Prescott Valley, AZ · 98499 — Lakewood, WA · How this is calculated: methodology