Cottonwood and Bullhead City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Cottonwood
Bullhead City
Opportunity
19 · Bottom 1%
vs13 · Bottom 1%
Growth
73 · Top 12%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
68 · Bottom 43%
vs51 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
16 · Bottom 11%
vs21 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 7%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs23 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Cottonwood | Bullhead City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,580 | 42,496 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $48,448 | $50,556 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,999 | $35,822 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 447/sq mi | 716/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $324,100 | $211,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,120 | $1,079 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.6% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 7.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -5.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.5% | 15.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.6% | 18.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 138 | 359 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.0 | 8.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 102.9% | 34.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 111°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.8" | 4.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 21.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 54.7 | 56.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.87 | 17.27 | 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
Cottonwood
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Bullhead City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cottonwood
48
Your Score
42
Area Score
Bullhead City
48
Your Score
42
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cottonwood, AZ · Bullhead City, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology