Surprise receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Florence
Surprise
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs73 · Top 13%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 23%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 49%
vs67 · Bottom 29%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs94 · Top 42%
Economic stability
36 · Bottom 13%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Florence | Surprise | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,570 | 154,948 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,644 | $96,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,845 | $41,888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 408/sq mi | 1,402/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $346,300 | $435,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,302 | $2,033 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.8% | 79.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.3% | 30.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 8.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 340 | 2,428 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 15.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.5% | -34.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 105°F | 104°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.6" | 8.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 22 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.0 min | 32.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.1 | 41.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.16 | 19.16 | 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
Florence
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, inland flooding.
Surprise
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Florence, AZ · Surprise, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology