98531 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98531
86323
Opportunity
31 · Bottom 10%
vs18 · Bottom 2%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs53 · Top 45%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs68 · Bottom 45%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 14%
vs16 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 32%
vs57 · Bottom 19%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs75 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 25%
vs48 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 98531 | 86323 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,337 | 19,666 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,406 | $62,603 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,793 | $34,091 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 212/sq mi | 171/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $343,000 | $380,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,130 | $1,258 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.7% | 88.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 9.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 68 | 58 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -27.7% | -18.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.6" | 12.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 49 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.3 | 54.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.40 | 21.04 | 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
98531
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
86323
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 98531 — Centralia, WA · 86323 — Chino Valley, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology