The cheapest places to live in Arizona are like a housing oasis in the Arizona real estate desert. From small towns to bustling cities like Phoenix, Arizona offers a wide range of cheap living options without compromising on quality of life.
But how did we identify these affordable gems in Arizona? Our methodology is simple. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Arizona Census data on median home prices, average incomes, and overall cost of living in every town across Arizona.
Let us walk you through the cities that are full of sunshine, close to the Grand Canyon, and easy on your wallet. These are the cheapest places to live in Arizona for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Arizona
What is the cheapest place to live in Arizona? The cheapest place to live in Arizona is Bullhead City after looking at the data for the 54 largest cities in Arizona. This cheap city is packed with Native American culture and history near the Petrified Forest National Park.
If mummified wood and aliens don’t sound like fantastic pastimes to you, remember the best part about these Arizona cities: they are dirt cheap.
Check out some more reading about Arizona and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona For 2024
/10
Population: 41,593
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $47,129
Median Home Price: $301,043
Median Rent: $944
Bullhead City ranks as the most affordable city statewide for 2024.
With a cost of living index of 82, residents benefit from a housing market where the $301,043 median home value aligns with the local $47,129 median income.
The city’s position along the Colorado River offers free things to do with the family on weekends.
More on Bullhead City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
schools are awesome and the city has alot of places to go to
the school is good with great teachers who taught very well but theres always accidents or fires at random places. theres plenty of stores to go to which is good since if theres something one store doesnt have another does have
/10
Population: 5,335
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $56,423
Median Home Price: $259,445
Median Rent: $809
Guadalupe, Arizona, is a small town with a big cultural footprint. With just 5,335 inhabitants, it advertises itself as the place “where three cultures flourish.” This includes influences from the native Yaquis Indians, Mexicans, and farmer/settlers. Along with these deep roots, it also counts as the number 2 most inexpensive place in Arizona to raise a family.
The community is located just outside of Phoenix, the state’s largest city. A 20-minute drive will take you to the city center. Despite this big-city influence, though, Guadalupe remains affordable.
True, wages are low in town, with a median income of just $56,423. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is 4.51%. But the funds earned by Guadalupe’s residents go a long way. The median home price stands at $259,445. At the same time, the median rent comes in at $809. The overall cost of living is about 80% of the U.S. standard.
More on Guadalupe: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 14,175
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $60,682
Median Home Price: $286,315
Median Rent: $967
We’re pretty sure everyone has heard of Coolidge, Arizona by now. Not only are they our third most affordable city in Arizona for 2024, but they also made our best places to live in Arizona for 2024 list.
Once home to the Pueblo People, this city in Pinal County is now home to Central Arizona College. CAC has been supplying employees to C-towns strong economy for over 50 years. And you know what else C-town’s residents know? Apparently a good deal when they see it, because they are the second most affordable city for home price to income ratio.
More on Coolidge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 33,052
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $56,360
Median Home Price: $265,190
Median Rent: $999
Kingman, situated in Mohave County, has a high level of affordability, ranking fourth in Arizona.
It has an overall cost of living at just 85% of the national average. That leaves money in your pocket for fun things to do, like checking out the Arizona Route 66 Museum. Or take the weekend off for a Hualapai Mountain Park Campground camping trip.
More on Kingman: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,075
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $57,364
Median Home Price: $247,454
Median Rent: $893
Where the 10 meets the 8 in Southern Arizona, is our fifth most affordable city in The Copper State: Eloy.
This little ray of Arizona sunshine is 11th when it comes to home price to income ratio. They are, however, only 12th when it comes to income to rent ratio. We’re not surprised it’s so affordable, but we’re pretty sure they want you to buy a home and stay awhile.
And if you’re the daredevil type, skydiving operations in Eloy employ the second largest number of residents. So, if not your hustle, maybe your side hustle? Either way, good luck!
More on Eloy: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 38,855
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $56,209
Median Home Price: $366,015
Median Rent: $939
Apache Junction takes the sixth spot on our list of the cheapest places to live in Arizona. It’s a welcome site for the town of 38,855 to make it up this high this year. It has both affordable homes and rents for places like it in Arizona. If you’re looking to move to a place where your dollar goes further, seriously consider Apache Junction.
Home to attractions like Lost Dutchman State Park and a ghost town or two, there’s plenty to do that won’t break your wallet, nevermind the bank.
More on Apache Junction: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cops are on watch alot and am very grateful. You’re allowed to have a gun for protection permitting you’ve no past record. Certain yrs the traffic is horrendous and- If you’re a woman – Don’t walk after dark anywhere foolishly without reason. Lock your doors at night. My husband is otr every 2 wks. I appreciate the police here. I sleep with my.22 by my bed.
Not alot of things close except malls for shopping.
/10
Population: 25,783
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 86
Median Income: $74,025
Median Home Price: $358,475
Median Rent: $1,069
With the economy doing so well, people are moving now more than ever. Might we suggest Arizona’s seventh most affordable city for 2024: Florence?
This city in Pinal County, scored an 8/10 on our snackability scale for affordability and a 9/10 for safety. This can only mean that just because a place is affordable, does not mean the trade off is high crime.
According to our data, Florence should be Arizona’s poster city for affordability, housing, and safety. And if you’re looking for an Arizona city that boasts great staycations, Florence is it. This city has close to ten parks and Phoenix and Tucson in its backyard.
More on Florence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 14,278
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 86
Median Income: $64,180
Median Home Price: $257,097
Median Rent: $951
Somerton, located in the southwestern part of Arizona within Yuma County, has an affordable living index of 86, significantly lower than the state benchmark. The city’s real estate market is notably accessible. It has a $257,097 median property value and median rents of $951
The Tamale Festival and Joe Muoz Park highlight the affordable living options available to Somerton’s 14,278 citizens.
More on Somerton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,318
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 86
Median Income: $49,955
Median Home Price: $239,970
Median Rent: $743
Benson is a great place to live if you’re looking for affordability. With a median home value of $239,970 and a median rent of $743, it offers lower housing costs than many other areas in the state. In fact, Benson’s home price-to-income ratio is ranked 19th in Arizona, meaning that it is relatively easy to purchase a home on an average income.
But Benson isn’t just affordable – it also offers a high quality of life. The city is located in a beautiful part of Arizona with easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Despite its small size, Benson has a strong community feel and hosts regular events and festivals throughout the year.
More on Benson: Data | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,301
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 87
Median Income: $41,594
Median Home Price: $148,672
Median Rent: $714
For a city to be truly hip, it needs to be affordable. So it goes for our tenth most affordable city in Arizona for 2024: Douglas. Located on the Arizona/Mexico border, this city scored a 6/10 for affordability and an 8.5/10 for diversity. We think that makes Douglas pretty hip.
When Douglas residents aren’t busy preparing for their annual cool, super hip, Cochise County Fair, they can be found earning the dream with jobs in public administration and education. Kudos to Douglas for keeping their townies employed, their economy strong, and their city super hip!
More on Douglas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Arizona FAQs
The county in Arizona with the lowest cost of living is Greenlee County. The average living wage in Greenlee County is $80,373 according to MIT data. Greenlee County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Arizona as a whole. Childcare costs $11,130 a year in Greenlee County for two children compared to the Arizona average of $11,735. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $9,048 per year in Greenlee County compared to $13,891 on average in Arizona.
The cost of living in Arizona is 3.5% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Arizona is $86,581 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Arizona household is $61,529.
The cheapest housing market in Arizona is Page. The average home value in Page is $0, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Arizona is $242,000, almost nan times higher than Page.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Grand Canyon State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Arizona boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Arizona using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Arizona to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 54 places in Arizona that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Arizona with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Bullhead City.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Arizona.
Arizona Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Arizona for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Arizona.
The cheapest cities in Arizona are Bullhead City, Guadalupe, Coolidge, Kingman, Eloy, Apache Junction, Florence, Somerton, Benson, and Douglas.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Arizona according to the data:
- Paradise Valley
- Sedona
- Scottsdale
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bullhead City | 41,593 | 82 | $47,129 | $301,043 | $944 |
| 2 | Guadalupe | 5,335 | 82 | $56,423 | $259,445 | $809 |
| 3 | Coolidge | 14,175 | 83 | $60,682 | $286,315 | $967 |
| 4 | Kingman | 33,052 | 84 | $56,360 | $265,190 | $999 |
| 5 | Eloy | 16,075 | 84 | $57,364 | $247,454 | $893 |
| 6 | Apache Junction | 38,855 | 85 | $56,209 | $366,015 | $939 |
| 7 | Florence | 25,783 | 86 | $74,025 | $358,475 | $1,069 |
| 8 | Somerton | 14,278 | 86 | $64,180 | $257,097 | $951 |
| 9 | Benson | 5,318 | 86 | $49,955 | $239,970 | $743 |
| 10 | Douglas | 16,301 | 87 | $41,594 | $148,672 | $714 |
| 11 | Casa Grande | 55,186 | 88 | $64,535 | $324,372 | $1,224 |
| 12 | San Luis | 35,189 | 88 | $46,747 | $234,684 | $823 |
| 13 | Winslow | 8,943 | 89 | $43,918 | $177,709 | $848 |
| 14 | Yuma | 96,314 | 91 | $59,312 | $284,259 | $1,028 |
| 15 | El Mirage | 35,652 | 91 | $72,134 | $355,004 | $1,606 |
| 16 | Nogales | 19,761 | 91 | $36,682 | $205,633 | $652 |
| 17 | Globe | 7,230 | 91 | $64,516 | $213,967 | $876 |
| 18 | Tolleson | 7,221 | 91 | $47,875 | $389,180 | $1,121 |
| 19 | Tucson | 541,033 | 93 | $52,049 | $324,757 | $991 |
| 20 | Page | 7,444 | 93 | $79,521 | $358,463 | $1,046 |
| 21 | Glendale | 248,083 | 94 | $66,375 | $405,468 | $1,268 |
| 22 | Thatcher | 5,281 | 95 | $71,591 | $304,034 | $960 |
| 23 | Avondale | 89,214 | 96 | $76,496 | $401,338 | $1,562 |
| 24 | Safford | 10,112 | 96 | $64,860 | $244,967 | $885 |
| 25 | Wickenburg | 7,600 | 96 | $63,301 | $526,044 | $1,076 |
| 26 | Cottonwood | 12,314 | 97 | $43,273 | $385,989 | $996 |
| 27 | Phoenix | 1,609,456 | 98 | $72,092 | $417,187 | $1,322 |
| 28 | Mesa | 503,390 | 98 | $73,766 | $431,607 | $1,352 |
| 29 | Maricopa | 59,605 | 98 | $88,795 | $361,705 | $1,768 |
| 30 | Camp Verde | 12,132 | 98 | $50,247 | $408,890 | $903 |
| 31 | Snowflake | 6,192 | 98 | $71,029 | $326,502 | $1,262 |
| 32 | Chino Valley | 13,120 | 99 | $55,682 | $477,451 | $1,100 |
| 33 | Tempe | 181,005 | 100 | $72,022 | $474,681 | $1,472 |
| 34 | Show Low | 11,767 | 100 | $57,406 | $418,453 | $1,080 |
| 35 | Peoria | 191,292 | 102 | $86,759 | $485,980 | $1,638 |
| 36 | Sierra Vista | 45,212 | 102 | $70,899 | $283,365 | $1,080 |
| 37 | Surprise | 145,591 | 104 | $87,756 | $432,141 | $1,822 |
| 38 | Prescott Valley | 47,015 | 104 | $66,617 | $449,398 | $1,348 |
| 39 | Sahuarita | 34,238 | 106 | $97,133 | $360,541 | $1,546 |
| 40 | Goodyear | 97,542 | 108 | $97,307 | $479,397 | $1,711 |
| 41 | Chandler | 275,618 | 109 | $99,374 | $519,175 | $1,675 |
| 42 | Lake Havasu City | 57,294 | 109 | $64,027 | $459,760 | $1,163 |
| 43 | Marana | 52,542 | 109 | $105,624 | $431,013 | $1,579 |
| 44 | Payson | 16,363 | 110 | $60,095 | $432,786 | $1,280 |
| 45 | Queen Creek | 61,788 | 111 | $127,182 | $627,569 | $2,030 |
| 46 | Gilbert | 267,267 | 112 | $115,179 | $566,231 | $1,839 |
| 47 | Prescott | 46,054 | 112 | $66,330 | $591,042 | $1,085 |
| 48 | Oro Valley | 47,053 | 115 | $101,394 | $500,520 | $1,555 |
| 49 | Litchfield Park | 6,794 | 116 | $117,601 | $535,888 | $1,900 |
| 50 | Flagstaff | 76,177 | 119 | $65,652 | $630,887 | $1,469 |
| 51 | Fountain Hills | 23,739 | 119 | $100,317 | $640,087 | $1,624 |
| 52 | Scottsdale | 240,537 | 126 | $104,197 | $798,175 | $1,768 |
| 53 | Sedona | 9,739 | 136 | $62,901 | $903,499 | $1,377 |
| 54 | Paradise Valley | 12,672 | 237 | $221,333 | $3,234,281 | $3,501 |