98531 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
86323
98531
Opportunity
18 · Bottom 2%
vs31 · Bottom 10%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
68 · Bottom 45%
vs69 · Bottom 46%
Physical resilience
16 · Bottom 11%
vs20 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 19%
vs67 · Bottom 32%
Access
75 · Bottom 16%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 30%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | 86323 | 98531 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,666 | 27,337 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,603 | $63,406 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,091 | $32,793 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 171/sq mi | 212/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $380,700 | $343,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,258 | $1,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 88.0% | 65.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 22.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 58 | 68 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 3.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -18.3% | -27.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.8" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 49 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 54.9 | 40.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.04 | 17.40 | 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
86323
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
98531
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 86323 — Chino Valley, AZ · 98531 — Centralia, WA · How this is calculated: methodology