1st Advantage MortgagePima County households have a median income of $70,315 and median rent of $1,212 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Getting oriented in Pima County
- What Pima County households earn
- The Pima County job picture
- Housing costs in Pima County
- The counties around Pima County
- Pima County towns compared
- Room for a loan payment in Pima County
- Local borrowing considerations for Pima County
- Pima County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Four steps for Pima County borrowers
- Checking a lender's license in Arizona
- More guides for Pima County
- Frequently asked questions
Getting oriented in Pima County
Pima County is home to about 1,060,490 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 2nd most populous of 15 county-level areas in Arizona. Land area is 9,189 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 115 per square mile. It is one of the counties that make up the Tucson, AZ metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). Tucson is the biggest of its 54 Census places, at roughly 547,073 people (52% of the county total).
What Pima County households earn
Pima County households have a median income of $70,315 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 5th of 15 in Arizona.
| Yearly household income | Pima County | Gap to Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 24.4% | +4.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 41.2% | +0.7 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 25.1% | -2.7 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 9.2% | -2.3 pts |
Some 24% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 34% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 14.3% of Pima County residents in poverty, against 12.5% across Arizona. None of these numbers decides a Pima County application. Lenders weigh your own documented income against your own debts.
The Pima County job picture
By the Census industry count, 26% of employed Pima County residents work in education and health care and 13% in professional and administrative services. The sharpest difference from the state is in education and health care, at 26% locally and 22% for Arizona. ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 5.5% in Pima County. Long commutes are the exception here: 11% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 7.1% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Pima County | Gap to Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.9% | +3.8 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 12.7% | +0.1 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.9% | +0.1 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 10.2% | +0.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 7.4% | -0.2 pts |
| Construction | 6.5% | -1.3 pts |
Shorter commutes usually mean lower vehicle costs, which can leave more room for a payment, or for paying a loan off early.
Housing costs in Pima County
A typical Pima County rental runs $1,212 a month including utilities, which is 21% below Arizona. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 53% of renter households here. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $319,700, about 4.5 times the median household income. The ownership rate is 65%. Median construction year: 1986.
| Pima County | Arizona | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,212/mo | $1,543/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $319,700 | $394,500 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 65% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 53% | 51% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 28% | 28% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 9.6% | 9.3% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 9% | 11% | n/a |
Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
The counties around Pima County
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Pima County's, from 60 to 128 miles away. Income ranges from $55,217 in Santa Cruz County to $89,300 in Maricopa County; 2 of these neighbors top Pima County's median.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pima County | - | $70,315 | $1,212/mo | 65% |
| Pinal County, AZ | 60 mi | $80,266 | $1,537/mo | 82% |
| Santa Cruz County, AZ | 69 mi | $55,217 | $829/mo | 69% |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 94 mi | $89,300 | $1,708/mo | 65% |
| Cochise County, AZ | 119 mi | $59,742 | $995/mo | 71% |
| Graham County, AZ | 124 mi | $67,325 | $935/mo | 73% |
| Gila County, AZ | 128 mi | $61,986 | $1,030/mo | 78% |
Pima County towns compared
The table lists the 14 largest of 54 Census places in Pima County, by population. Together all 54 hold about 955,623 people, so roughly 10% of residents live outside any named place. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $33,598 in South Tucson to $134,474 in Tucson Mountains. Linked names have their own city guide; this page covers every other Pima County community.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson | city | 547,073 | $57,073 | $1,145 | 53 mi |
| Casas Adobes | CDP | 72,059 | $83,683 | $1,650 | 47 mi |
| Catalina Foothills | CDP | 52,593 | $115,304 | $1,412 | 54 mi |
| Oro Valley | town | 48,162 | $107,117 | $1,669 | 51 mi |
| Sahuarita | town | 35,862 | $104,680 | $1,837 | 50 mi |
| Drexel Heights | CDP | 27,675 | $73,508 | $1,342 | 43 mi |
| Green Valley | CDP | 22,114 | $62,063 | $1,171 | 50 mi |
| Flowing Wells | CDP | 16,559 | $39,774 | $1,034 | 47 mi |
| Vail | CDP | 16,315 | $130,904 | $2,057 | 64 mi |
| Tanque Verde | CDP | 15,866 | $121,599 | $1,347 | 62 mi |
| Valencia West | CDP | 14,728 | $99,884 | $1,850 | 39 mi |
| Tucson Estates | CDP | 12,136 | $66,582 | $1,248 | 39 mi |
| Tucson Mountains | CDP | 11,353 | $134,474 | $1,450 | 43 mi |
| Corona de Tucson | CDP | 9,566 | $132,568 | $2,213 | 60 mi |
Room for a loan payment in Pima County
Pima County at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- Start: $5,860 gross per month ($70,315 / 12)
- 21% goes to median rent ($1,212)
- At 36%, room after rent is $897 a month
- 43% debt-to-income limit: $1,308 left for all other debt payments
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Local borrowing considerations for Pima County
Where the Pima County numbers stand out, and why it matters for a loan:
- 53% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Pima County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
- Credit reports. Pull free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute errors before applying.
Pima County residents: age, schooling, coverage
37% of Pima County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. The uninsured rate is 8.6%, against 10.5% for Arizona.
| Indicator | Pima County | All of Arizona | U.S. county median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.8 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 36.8% | 33.3% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 9.5% | 10.6% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 7.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 15.4% | 18.4% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 5.5% | 5.1% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Pima County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 23.6% |
| 15 to 29 min | 42.4% |
| 30 to 44 min | 23.1% |
| 45 to 59 min | 6.6% |
| 60+ min | 4.2% |
Four steps for Pima County borrowers
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Know the exact dollar figure you need before talking to a lender.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Checking a lender's license in Arizona
Consumer lenders serving Pima County are licensed by the state, not the county; in Arizona that is the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. The Arizona guide covers state rules in more detail.
More guides for Pima County
Guides that cover parts of Pima County:
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Pima County earn?
The median is $70,315; 34% earn $100,000 or more and 24% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
What do renters pay in Pima County?
$1,212 a month at the median, about 21% of median household income.
Does this page cover Tucson?
Yes, along with the other 53 Census places in Pima County, such as Casas Adobes, Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley.
Does living in Pima County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Pima County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Is there a Pima County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In Arizona it is the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions.