Murray receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Murray
Nogales
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 2%
vs27 · Bottom 5%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs37 · Bottom 26%
Climate
74 · Top 30%
vs77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 33%
vs27 · Bottom 22%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 35%
vs80 · Bottom 49%
Access
45 · Bottom 3%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
29 · Bottom 6%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Murray | Nogales | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,080 | 19,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,091 | $43,214 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,129 | $21,824 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,546/sq mi | 953/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $195,000 | $186,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $870 | $737 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.7% | 49.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 7.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.1% | 17.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.1% | 28.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 44.4% | -22.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 58.1" | 14.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 87 mi | 52 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 13.9 min | 19.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 25.8 | 36.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.77 | 18.19 | 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
Murray
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Nogales
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Murray, KY · Nogales, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology