Cost of living in Tucson research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Tucson is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Arizona, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Tucson is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Tucson is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Tucson ranks as the #37 cheapest in Arizona out of 94.
Tucson ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Tucson is $177,800.
The median income in Tucson is $48,058.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tucson has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Arizona, Tucson has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Arizona's index of 107.
The standard of living in Tucson ranks as #37 most affordable out of the 94 places we measured in Arizona. By definition, that implies Tucson ranks as the #57 most expensive place in the Grand Canyon State.
For more reading on life in Tucson, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tucson. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Tucson is 106.
The Groceries index in Tucson is 103.
The Health index in Tucson is 103.
The Housing index in Tucson is 73.
The Transportation index in Tucson is 98.
The Utilities index in Tucson is 100.
Living Expense | Tucson | Arizona | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 107 | 100 | |
Services | 106 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 103 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 103 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 73 | 121 | 100 | |
Transportation | 98 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 97 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Arizona, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Tucson is $177,800.
The Median Rent in Tucson is $907.
The Median Income in Tucson is $48,058.
The Home Value To Income in Tucson is 3.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Tucson is 0.23x.
Statistic | Tucson | Arizona | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $177,800 | $265,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $907 | $1,172 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $48,058 | $65,913 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.7x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tucson. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Casas Adobes, AZ has a cost of living index of 103, 1.1x Tucson.
Catalina Foothills, AZ has a cost of living index of 127, 1.3x Tucson.
Oro Valley, AZ has a cost of living index of 113, 1.2x Tucson.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Tucson |
---|---|---|---|
Casas Adobes, AZ | 70,224 | 103 | 1.1x |
Catalina Foothills, AZ | 50,096 | 127 | 1.3x |
Oro Valley, AZ | 46,515 | 113 | 1.2x |
Sahuarita, AZ | 33,524 | 106 | 1.1x |
Drexel Heights, AZ | 30,599 | 91 | 1.0x |
Flowing Wells, AZ | 16,965 | 88 | 0.9x |
Tanque Verde, AZ | 14,946 | 127 | 1.3x |
Vail, AZ | 14,715 | 111 | 1.2x |
Valencia West, AZ | 12,887 | 98 | 1.0x |
Tucson Estates, AZ | 12,411 | 94 | 1.0x |