Newport and Payson 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
Newport
Payson
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 13%
vs46 · Bottom 27%
Growth
75 · Top 10%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
70 · Bottom 48%
vs66 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs14 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
50 · Bottom 10%
vs60 · Bottom 21%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs71 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Newport | Payson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,583 | 16,622 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,568 | $67,710 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,088 | $42,466 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,061/sq mi | 859/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $441,400 | $382,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,241 | $1,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.2% | 75.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.3% | 24.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 11.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 107 | 56 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.1 | 3.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 345.8% | -11.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 64°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 67.3" | 19.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 55 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.7 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.3 | 60.9 | 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
Newport
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Payson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Newport, OR · Payson, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology