Maricopa and Peoria 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
Maricopa
Peoria
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Growth
71 · Top 16%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs46 · Bottom 36%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 30%
Access
89 · Bottom 38%
vs96 · Top 32%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs59 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Maricopa | Peoria | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,163 | 196,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,391 | $95,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,983 | $47,834 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,581/sq mi | 1,114/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $377,200 | $463,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,998 | $1,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 76.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 36.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 900 | 1,321 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 6.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.6% | 4.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 104°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 8.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.6 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.8 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.20 | 18.64 | 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
Maricopa
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, inland flooding.
Peoria
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Maricopa, AZ · Peoria, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology