93505 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
86403
93505
Opportunity
14 · Bottom 1%
vs31 · Bottom 10%
Growth
33 · Bottom 23%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Climate
51 · Bottom 1%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 16%
vs15 · Bottom 10%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 19%
vs63 · Bottom 26%
Access
95 · Top 43%
vs99 · Top 16%
Economic stability
20 · Bottom 3%
vs24 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | 86403 | 93505 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,295 | 14,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,967 | $59,827 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,815 | $25,965 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,660/sq mi | 221/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $363,000 | $278,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,182 | $1,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 55.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 8.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -5.5% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 22.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 145 | 70 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -52.8% | -35.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 111°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.3" | 6.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.0 min | 42.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.9 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.11 | 24.21 | 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
86403
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
93505
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: 86403 — Lake Havasu City, AZ · 93505 — California City, CA · How this is calculated: methodology