El Mirage and Glendale 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
El Mirage
Glendale
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs32 · Bottom 8%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs41 · Bottom 33%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 38%
vs47 · Bottom 38%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs97 · Top 22%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | El Mirage | Glendale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,088 | 252,833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,050 | $73,530 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,788 | $33,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,645/sq mi | 3,760/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $321,900 | $387,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,806 | $1,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.7% | 57.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6 | 462 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | -18.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 104°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 8.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.8 min | 30.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.7 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 82 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.24 | 17.91 | 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
El Mirage
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Glendale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: El Mirage, AZ · Glendale, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology