Maricopa County · Arizona · West · 1.6M residents
Phoenix, AZ: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Phoenix: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Arizona median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Phoenix is $450,000, 17% above the Arizona median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,700/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 103 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $72,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A desert metropolis that makes room for art, baseball, and wide-open mountain horizons.
Known for: Sonoran Desert landscapes, spring training, Southwestern food, and a growing arts scene.
Calendar note: The official visitor guide centers spring training, arts events, and desert outdoor traditions.
Story source: Visit Phoenix
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Phoenix about 34 miles from the nearest tracked mountain.
- Climate signal: The profile records 299 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 41 and an average commute of 27 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Phoenix side by side
Cost of living index
103
Median home value
$450,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,700/mo
Median household income
$72,000
Housing momentum
How fast Phoenix's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
16/100
Cooling
Ranks Phoenix's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Phoenix's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $450,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $285 |
| Property tax rate | 0.6% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,350/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,700/mo |
| State & local income tax | 1.64% |
| Sales tax | 8.6% |
| Cost of living index | 103 |
| Groceries index | 101 |
| Utilities | $220/mo |
| Transit pass | $64/mo |
| Gas price | $3.60/gal |
| Healthcare index | 97 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $72,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% |
| Population | 1.6M |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 41/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 299 days |
| July high | 107°F |
| January low | 46°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -2.3% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | -0.8% |
| Rent MoM | +0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 299 mi |
| Big lake | 58 mi |
| Mountains | 34 mi |
| Major airport | 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 131 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Tempe, AZ · 188k
- Glendale, AZ · 253k
- Scottsdale, AZ · 244k
- Mesa, AZ · 512k
- Peoria, AZ · 197k
Similar size
- Tucson, AZ · 547k
- Gilbert, AZ · 280k
- Chandler, AZ · 280k
- Surprise, AZ · 155k
- San Tan Valley, AZ · 109k
Real listings in Phoenix
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Phoenix, AZ?
- Phoenix indexes at 103 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,700/mo and a median home value of $450,000.
- How much does a house cost in Phoenix?
- The median home value in Phoenix is $450,000, 17% above the Arizona median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Phoenix?
- A two-bedroom in Phoenix rents for about $1,700/mo.