Safford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
San Luis
Safford
Opportunity
22 · Bottom 2%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs62 · Bottom 22%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 13%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 15%
Access
3 · Bottom 1%
vs45 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 14%
vs45 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | San Luis | Safford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,337 | 10,239 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,400 | $65,647 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,712 | $28,474 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,104/sq mi | 1,103/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $224,900 | $199,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $741 | $1,048 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.4% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 28.0% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.0% | -3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.3% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.1% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 308 | 42 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 27.3% | 162.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.3" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 115 mi | 88 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 31.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.47 | 19.19 | 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
San Luis
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Safford
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, drought, inland flooding.
Full profiles: San Luis, AZ · Safford, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology