86326 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92220
86326
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 9%
vs19 · Bottom 2%
Growth
83 · Top 2%
vs75 · Top 9%
Climate
57 · Bottom 7%
vs68 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs16 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 8%
vs58 · Bottom 21%
Access
93 · Top 49%
vs83 · Bottom 25%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 8%
vs39 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | 92220 | 86326 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,755 | 24,852 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,599 | $57,378 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,771 | $35,414 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 239/sq mi | 547/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $354,600 | $345,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,629 | $1,141 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 65.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 27.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.7% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 392 | 138 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 11.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 126.6% | 102.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.6" | 12.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 36 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.9 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.6 | 50.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.81 | 19.87 | 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
92220
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
86326
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 92220 — Banning, CA · 86326 — Cottonwood, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology