Surprise and Gilbert 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
Surprise
Gilbert
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 27%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs37 · Bottom 27%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 37%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 29%
vs75 · Bottom 41%
Access
94 · Top 42%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs80 · Top 8%
Measured values
| Metric | Surprise | Gilbert | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 154,948 | 280,262 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,711 | $122,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,888 | $52,085 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,402/sq mi | 4,075/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $435,100 | $575,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,033 | $2,110 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.1% | 73.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.5% | 48.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.6% | 5.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,428 | 500 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.7 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.3% | -69.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.9" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.4 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.16 | 16.38 | 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
Surprise
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Gilbert
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Surprise, AZ · Gilbert, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology