98935 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
98935
85546
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 24%
vs31 · Bottom 9%
Growth
83 · Top 3%
vs71 · Top 14%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 33%
vs95 · Top 21%
Access
44 · Bottom 2%
vs40 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | 98935 | 85546 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,289 | 20,809 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,316 | $61,832 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,470 | $25,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 17/sq mi | 30/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $225,500 | $199,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $980 | $981 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 75.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.4% | 13.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 25.4% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 166 | 42 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.8 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 29.7% | 162.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.0" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 83 mi | 89 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 24.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 27.0 | 35.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.35 | 19.19 | 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
98935
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
85546
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, drought, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 98935 — Grandview, WA · 85546 — Safford, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology