How Much You Need To Live Comfortably in 19 Arizona Cities

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Arizona features lots of sunshine, outdoor activities and cultural diversity, making it an ideal place to call home for many. But how does the state rank in terms of affordability?

We’ve compiled the data for 19 Arizona cities to see how much money you would need to live comfortably in each. Here’s what we found.

Also see the best places in the state for a couple to live on only Social Security.

Marana

• Median household income: $94,983
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $95,381
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $103,161

Marana is a city of about 55,000 just northwest of Tucson. Residents can expect to pay roughly $5,127 for groceries and $4,656 for healthcare each year. If you want to own a house comfortably, you need about $8,000 above the median salary.

Gilbert

• Median household income: $105,733
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $97,051
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $121,748

Once known as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World,” Gilbert is located in the Phoenix metropolitan area and has a population of about 273,000. It is one of Arizona’s richest cities, with the highest median income on our list. Utilities run more than $4,200 per year in Gilbert. You can expect to shell out more than $5,200 annually for groceries. You will need to make about $16,000 above the median income to comfortably afford buying a home there.

Buckeye

• Median household income: $84,568 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $96,559
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $100,924

Buckeye is a growing city of about 100,000 (it had just 6,000 in 2000) just west of Phoenix. Transportation costs are especially high in Buckeye; you’ll likely pay more than $7,000 this year to get around. Owning a home requires you to make about $16,000 more than the median income in Buckeye.

Oro Valley

• Median household income: $92,548
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $91,761
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $113,745

It’s cheaper to be a renter in Oro Valley, a town of 48,000 about six miles north of Tucson. The average annual rent is around $25,000, while the average homeowner pays more than $35,000 per year. So to own a home comfortably, you would need to make about $21,000 above the median income.

San Tan Valley

• Median household income: $79,836
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $95,113
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $100,861

San Tan Valley, an unincorporated area in the southeast part of Arizona, has a population of around 105,000. Grocery prices in San Tan Valley are similar to other cities on our list: You can expect to pay more than $5,100 a year to keep your refrigerator, freezer and pantry stocked. To own a home comfortably, you will need to make about $21,000 above the median income. Renting is not much cheaper, requiring about $15,000 more than the median income.

Goodyear

• Median household income: $91,073
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $95,373
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $111,024

You can expect to spend more than $5,000 per year on healthcare in Goodyear, a city in the Phoenix area that has blossomed into a metro of around 100,000 over the past 30 years. You will need about $20,000 above the median salary to own a home comfortably here.

Chandler

• Median household income: $91,299
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $93,607
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $115,529

Chandler, a city of about 280,000 right next to Gilbert in the greater Phoenix area, will likely cost you more than $6,000 per year to get around. You can expect to pay more than $5,200 annually at the grocery store. It is much more affordable to rent in Chandler than to buy — the latter requiring $24,000 beyond the median income.

Yuma

• Median household income: $56,292
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $79,357
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $84,498

Yuma, a city of about 70,000 right on the borders of California and Mexico, is a historic city that does not offer a lot of high-paying jobs. You will need $23,000 above the median income to live well while renting and $28,000 to comfortably own a home here. Health-related costs are particularly high in Yuma — more than $7,400 annually.

Casa Grande

• Median household income: $59,175
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $85,169
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $87,487

Located halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, Casa Grande has just 58,000 people, and income does not match housing needs, which require at least $26,000 beyond the median salary. Between groceries and transportation, you’ll also have to cough up nearly $10,000 per year in Casa Grande.

Surprise

• Median household income: $76,623
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $94,132
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $103,040

Surprise is a city of about 150,000 people just northwest of Phoenix. If you rent in Surprise, chances are good that your annual housing bill will exceed $25,000.

Avondale

• Median household income: $69,241
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $88,355
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $97,341

After paying your monthly bills, having an extra $1,000 on hand is wise to cover miscellaneous expenses while living in Avondale, a city in the Phoenix area with a population of about 90,000.

Peoria

• Median household income: $81,017  
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $90,699   
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $111,786

You’ll spend nearly $4,400 on utilities and more than $6,800 on transportation per year in Peoria, a major suburb of Phoenix with a population of about 195,000. Owning a home in Peoria will require about $30,000 above the median income if you want to still have any money left for savings.

Tucson

• Median household income: $48,058 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $77,547 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $86,391 

Tucson, home of the University of Arizona, is the second-largest city in Arizona (540,000 plus), behind Phoenix. Its economy is fairly depressed, with the lowest median income on this list. You will need $38,000 above the median income to comfortably afford a house.

Phoenix

• Median household income: $64,927 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $87,962
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $102,770

Phoenix, the biggest city in Arizona at 1.6 million, requires about $23,000 over the median income to live well while renting and $38,000 to be able to save money if you are paying for a home.

Mesa

• Median household income: $65,725 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $86,750
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $104,131

Mesa is a city of over 500,000 just east of Phoenix. If you live in Mesa, your rent payment may be $1,800 per month or higher and you will need $38,000 over the median income to comfortably afford a mortgage.

Glendale

• Median household income: $60,499 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $88,068
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $100,459

Glendale, a city of 250,000 a few miles northwest of Phoenix, has transportation costs of almost $7,000 per year. And owning a house there requires about $40,000 above the median salary if you plan to also save any money for retirement.

Tempe

• Median household income: $64,080 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $88,724 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $109,301 

Tempe is east of Phoenix, with a population of around 184,000. If you rent in Tempe, your annual housing cost is around $10,000 less than if you own a home, which would require an income about $45,000 above the median for the area.

Flagstaff

• Median household income: $61,026 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $99,139
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $133,505 

Flagstaff, with a population of around 77,000 and an elevation of 6,800 feet, is an expensive place to live. You need to make more than double the median salary to own a home comfortably here, and healthcare costs over $6,000 a year.

Scottsdale

• Median household income: $97,409 
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying rent: $96,070
• Income needed to live comfortably if paying a mortgage: $168,544

Scottsdale is a city of around 243,000 just east of Phoenix. You can rent a place comfortably on the median salary, but buying is another story: You need to make a whopping $71,000 over the median income.

Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed the top 25 populated U.S. cities for (1) May 2023 Home Value for Single Family Homes and (2) May 2023 rent prices, both sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rental Index; (3) cost of living for groceries, (4) cost of living for transportation, (5) cost of living for healthcare, (6) cost of living for utilities, all sourced from Sperlings’ BestPlaces. These indexes were multiplied by the median annual expenditure cost for each category as sourced from the 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. GOBankingRates then calculated an annual cost of a 30-year mortgage amount using the 30-Year National Fixed Rate Mortgage Rate sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. With these factors, GOBankingRates used the 50/30/20 rule to calculate the required salary someone would need to earn to live comfortably in each city. All information is up to date as of June 26, 2023.

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