Farmington receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lake Havasu City-Kingman
Farmington
Opportunity
9 · Bottom 1%
vs19 · Bottom 2%
Growth
48 · Bottom 47%
vs32 · Bottom 23%
Climate
58 · Bottom 20%
vs56 · Bottom 14%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 10%
vs26 · Bottom 15%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 11%
vs89 · Bottom 34%
Access
67 · Bottom 33%
vs66 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
19 · Bottom 9%
vs15 · Bottom 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake Havasu City-Kingman | Farmington | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 220,517 | 120,942 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,684 | $55,872 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,963 | $28,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 17/sq mi | 22/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $281,000 | $193,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,091 | $956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 71.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -5.5% | -2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.2% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 23.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 900 | 84 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -63.6% | 1.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.0" | 7.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 54 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 53.6 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Lake Havasu City-Kingman
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Farmington
Elevated or high exposure: drought, inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lake Havasu City-Kingman
41
Your Score
37
Area Score
Farmington
43
Your Score
41
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ Metro Area · Farmington, NM Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology