Residential comparison · 13 facts
Phoenix, AZ vs Tempe, AZ
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Phoenix needs about $87,500 in Tempe to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Tempe, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,500 in Phoenix.
A few differences
- Tempe is lower on sales tax (8.4% vs 8.6%).
- Tempe is lower on groceries index (100 vs 101).
- Tempe is higher on median household income ($79,663 vs $72,000).
Phoenix vs Tempe · facet by facet
| Facet | Phoenix, AZ | Tempe, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $455,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,700/mo | $1,791/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| State & local income tax | 1.64% | 1.64% |
| Sales tax | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Cost of living index | 103 | 110 |
| Groceries index | 101 | 100 |
| Utilities | $220/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $79,663 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 4.8/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 299 days | 290 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Phoenix, AZ · Tempe, AZ
Questions & answers
- Is Phoenix cheaper than Tempe?
- Phoenix has the lower day-to-day cost index (103 vs 110 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Tempe equals $85,000 in Phoenix?
- A household earning $85,000 in Phoenix needs about $87,500 in Tempe to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Tempe lifestyle costs about $82,500 in Phoenix.