Arizona households earn a median $79,964 a year and pay a median $1,543 in rent, according to the Census Bureau. Before borrowing, confirm the lender's state license, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and walk away from any upfront fee.
On this page
- Arizona by the numbers
- What the numbers mean for Arizona borrowers
- Largest places in Arizona
- More Arizona cities and towns
- Counties with the most residents
- How Arizona earns a living
- More context for Arizona budgets
- Checking a lender in Arizona
- Can Arizona residents use the questionnaire?
- Local guides in Arizona
- Frequently asked questions
Arizona by the numbers
Here is Arizona next to the U.S. on income, housing, work and commuting, with a rank among the 50 states plus DC for each line. Source: ACS five-year estimates for 2020 to 2024.
| Budget measure | Arizona | Nation | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,964 | $80,734 | 21st |
| Rent, median gross (monthly) | $1,543 | $1,413 | 13th |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 51% | 51% | 16th |
| Home value, median | $394,500 | $332,700 | 16th |
| Homes owner-occupied | 67% | 65% | 26th |
| Mortgaged owners paying 30%+ on housing | 28% | 28% | 20th |
| Years of median income to buy the median home | 4.9x | 4.1x | 12th |
| Workers commuting 45+ minutes | 14% | 17% | 26th |
| Workers who work from home | 18% | 15% | 7th |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 33% | 36% | 30th |
| Median age | 39.0 | 38.9 | 30th |
| Gini index (inequality) | 0.464 | 0.483 | 30th |
| Share of households under $35,000 | 20% | 21% | 35th |
| Share of households at $100,000+ | 39% | 41% | 21st |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 12.5% | 20th |
| Unemployment rate (ACS) | 5.1% | 5.2% | 21st |
What the numbers mean for Arizona borrowers
18% of the Arizona workforce works from home, while 14% face a one-way trip of 45 minutes or longer. Working from home cuts commuting costs but can make income harder to document if you are a contractor.
Roughly one in 3 Arizona households earns six figures (39%), and 12% clear $200,000, while 20% live on less than $35,000. A wide spread like this is why one-size borrowing advice fails; size the loan to your own pay, not to the state's.
Owners make up 67% of Arizona households. With a median home value of $394,500, 16th of 51, a house costs about 4.9 years of median household income. 28% of mortgaged owners are housing-cost burdened, versus 28% nationally. Before using equity, read how a HELOC compares with a personal loan: the line is secured by the home, the loan usually is not.
Education and age round out the picture: 33% of Arizona adults have at least a bachelor's degree (U.S.: 36%), the median age is 39.0, and the Gini index is 0.464.
Largest places in Arizona
The 12 most populous places in Arizona, with Census income, rent and home value for each. Linked names have their own local guide on this site.
| Community | County | Population | Median household income | Median gross rent | Typical home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | Maricopa County | 1,642,323 | $81,332 | $1,582 | $420,700 |
| Tucson | Pima County | 547,073 | $57,073 | $1,145 | $266,200 |
| Mesa | Maricopa County | 511,764 | $82,752 | $1,620 | $408,000 |
| Gilbert | Maricopa County | 280,262 | $122,551 | $2,110 | $575,100 |
| Chandler | Maricopa County | 280,136 | $108,095 | $1,902 | $507,800 |
| Glendale | Maricopa County | 252,833 | $73,530 | $1,528 | $387,500 |
| Scottsdale | Maricopa County | 243,821 | $110,886 | $2,013 | $789,800 |
| Peoria | Maricopa County, Yavapai County | 196,906 | $95,815 | $1,843 | $463,600 |
| Tempe | Maricopa County | 188,065 | $79,663 | $1,743 | $455,400 |
| Surprise | Maricopa County | 154,948 | $96,711 | $2,033 | $435,100 |
| San Tan Valley | Pinal County | 109,189 | $96,713 | $2,085 | $410,100 |
| Goodyear | Maricopa County | 107,645 | $103,319 | $1,956 | $471,300 |
Counting places of 20,000 or more people, median household income in Arizona tops out at $141,978 in Queen Creek and bottoms out at $50,556 in Bullhead City. The state has 23 places over 50,000 and 68 over 10,000. Median rent in that group ranges from $741 in San Luis to $2,548 in Anthem.
More Arizona cities and towns
Continuing down the population list from Buckeye to El Mirage.
| Community | Residents | Median household income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye | 104,923 | $99,486 | $1,963 |
| Yuma | 100,139 | $65,482 | $1,114 |
| Avondale | 92,477 | $86,123 | $1,832 |
| Flagstaff | 76,445 | $71,512 | $1,645 |
| Casas Adobes | 72,059 | $83,683 | $1,650 |
| Queen Creek | 71,867 | $141,978 | $2,210 |
| Maricopa | 67,163 | $96,391 | $1,998 |
| Casa Grande | 60,905 | $69,983 | $1,386 |
| Lake Havasu City | 58,359 | $70,148 | $1,320 |
| Marana | 56,938 | $112,606 | $1,818 |
| Catalina Foothills | 52,593 | $115,304 | $1,412 |
| Prescott Valley | 49,179 | $74,569 | $1,580 |
| Oro Valley | 48,162 | $107,117 | $1,669 |
| Prescott | 47,400 | $70,874 | $1,395 |
| Sierra Vista | 45,155 | $70,291 | $1,150 |
| Bullhead City | 42,496 | $50,556 | $1,079 |
| Apache Junction | 41,058 | $60,975 | $1,146 |
| Sun City | 37,486 | $54,586 | $1,569 |
| San Luis | 37,337 | $59,400 | $741 |
| El Mirage | 36,088 | $78,050 | $1,806 |
Measured as a year of median rent against median household income, housing weighs most in Sun City (34%) and least in Catalina Foothills (15%) among these 20 places.
Counties with the most residents
Arizona has 15 counties or equivalents. The 15 most populous are below.
| County | Population | Median household income | Median rent | Typical home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 4,559,748 | $89,300 | $1,708 | $452,800 |
| Pima County | 1,060,490 | $70,315 | $1,212 | $319,700 |
| Pinal County | 469,006 | $80,266 | $1,537 | $349,000 |
| Yavapai County | 245,480 | $69,613 | $1,351 | $425,200 |
| Mohave County | 220,517 | $57,684 | $1,091 | $281,000 |
| Yuma County | 211,741 | $62,876 | $993 | $217,800 |
| Coconino County | 144,508 | $72,966 | $1,473 | $448,000 |
| Cochise County | 125,566 | $59,742 | $995 | $218,300 |
| Navajo County | 108,415 | $54,606 | $858 | $201,500 |
| Apache County | 65,341 | $41,438 | $647 | $63,700 |
| Gila County | 53,795 | $61,986 | $1,030 | $269,400 |
| Santa Cruz County | 48,926 | $55,217 | $829 | $233,000 |
| Graham County | 39,232 | $67,325 | $935 | $212,000 |
| La Paz County | 16,664 | $49,478 | $802 | $135,800 |
| Greenlee County | 9,409 | $71,164 | $648 | $158,600 |
The county income gap: $89,300 at the top in Maricopa County, $41,438 at the bottom in Apache County. Your county's costs, not the state's, set how much room a new payment has.
How Arizona earns a living
The table lists the four industries that employ the most Arizona residents, as a share of employed people 16 and older, next to the national share.
| Industry | Share of Arizona workers | National share | Gap vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education, health care and social assistance | 22% | 24% | -1.4 pts |
| Professional, scientific and administrative services | 13% | 13% | -0.0 pts |
| Retail trade | 12% | 11% | +1.0 pts |
| Arts, entertainment, lodging and food service | 10% | 9% | +0.9 pts |
Finance, insurance and real estate is the sector with the biggest gap over the national mix, employing 9% of Arizona workers (U.S.: 7%). Hourly workers with variable schedules should average several months of pay when sizing a payment.
More context for Arizona budgets
Over 2020 to 2024, 5.1% of the Arizona labor force was unemployed on average in the ACS, against 5.2% nationally; the poverty rate was 12.5%. If you were recently out of work, wait until you have a few steady paychecks before you apply.
Ranked by median household income, Arizona comes in 21st with $79,964, about the same as the country's $80,734. Medians describe the middle household, not yours, so test any payment against your own take-home pay.
Arizona renters pay a median $1,543 a month. 51% of them spend 30 percent or more of income on rent, above the national share of 51%. A moving or deposit loan is common among renters; compare it with a payment plan from the landlord or utility first.
Checking a lender in Arizona
Personal lenders that make loans to Arizona residents generally need a state license or must lend through a bank. The state banking agency, listed by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, is the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions.
- An upfront fee to "secure" a loan is a warning sign the FTC describes here.
- Complaints can go to the state agency and to the CFPB.
- Ask for the lender's license number and look it up on NMLS Consumer Access.
Can Arizona residents use the questionnaire?
Not every state has a lending partner yet. Choose Arizona on the location step and the questionnaire will tell you right away whether matching is open; if it is not, you can leave an email for the waitlist.
Local guides in Arizona
City-level guides for Arizona (15 so far):
- Avondale
- Buckeye
- Casa Grande
- Chandler
- Gilbert
- Goodyear
- Maricopa
- Mesa
- Peoria
- Phoenix
- Queen Creek
- Scottsdale
- Surprise
- Tempe
- Tucson
Frequently asked questions
Where do I check a lender's license in Arizona?
The state banking agency listed for Arizona by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors is the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. You can also search a lender on NMLS Consumer Access and file complaints with the CFPB.
What do households in Arizona earn?
The Census Bureau puts it at $79,964, which places Arizona 21st of 51 (U.S.: $80,734).
How much do Arizona renters pay?
Median gross rent is $1,543 a month, and 51% of renter households spend 30 percent or more of income on rent (ACS 2020 to 2024). Nationally the figures are $1,413 and 51%.
How many Arizona residents live below the poverty line?
12.5% in the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates, compared with 12.5% nationally. Households under strain should look at free options, such as hardship plans and nonprofit counseling, before a loan.