Residential comparison · 13 facts
Phoenix, AZ vs Tucson, 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 $78,000 in Tucson to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Tucson, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Phoenix.
A few differences
- Phoenix is lower on property tax rate (0.6% vs 0.85%).
- Phoenix is lower on sales tax (8.6% vs 8.7%).
- Tucson is lower on groceries index (98 vs 101).
Phoenix vs Tucson · facet by facet
| Facet | Phoenix, AZ | Tucson, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $330,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,700/mo | $1,350/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.6% | 0.85% |
| State & local income tax | 1.64% | 1.64% |
| Sales tax | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Cost of living index | 103 | 92 |
| Groceries index | 101 | 98 |
| Utilities | $220/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $55,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 55/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 299 days | 286 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 · Tucson, AZ
Questions & answers
- Is Phoenix cheaper than Tucson?
- Tucson has the lower day-to-day cost index (92 vs 103 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Tucson equals $85,000 in Phoenix?
- A household earning $85,000 in Phoenix needs about $78,000 in Tucson to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Tucson lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Phoenix.