Shelton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Payson
Shelton
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 27%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs73 · Top 38%
Physical resilience
14 · Bottom 9%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 21%
vs65 · Bottom 27%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Payson | Shelton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,622 | 10,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,710 | $69,598 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,466 | $28,515 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 859/sq mi | 1,641/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $382,400 | $345,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,365 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 62.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.2% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 56 | 28 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.1% | -45.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.8" | 67.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 60.9 | 32.5 | 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
Payson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Shelton
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Payson, AZ · Shelton, WA · How this is calculated: methodology