Maricopa County vs Pima County
Maricopa County, Arizona versus Pima County, Arizona: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Maricopa County and Pima County score about the same overall (48 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Maricopa County | Pima County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $81k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $57k | $44k |
| Home Value | $371k | $258k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1.1M | $271k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.51% | 0.84% |
| Income Tax | 2.50% | 2.50% |
| Sales Tax | 8.38% | 8.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.60% | 8.63% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 5.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 94°F | 87°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.8 in | 14.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 3.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 274 days | 316 days |
| Summer Humidity | 54°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 116 days | 77 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.9 | 99.1 |
| Air Quality | 72 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 37.6 | 34.8 |
| Violent Crime | 1563/100k | 479/100k |
| Property Crime | 2265/100k | 1061/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 4,430,871 | 1,042,393 |
| Median Age | 37.1 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.53 | 0.53 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+19 |
| White (%) | 53.2% | 50.1% |
| Black (%) | 5.4% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 31.7% | 38.1% |
| Asian (%) | 4.2% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.5% | 5.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 57 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.1% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Maricopa County or Pima County more affordable?
- Pima County has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Maricopa County's $57k and Pima County's $44k. Median rent is $1k in Maricopa County versus $1k in Pima County.
- Is Maricopa County or Pima County safer?
- Pima County has the lower violent crime rate. Maricopa County reports 1563/100k and Pima County reports 479/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Maricopa County or Pima County?
- The median home value is $371k in Maricopa County and $258k in Pima County, so homes are more affordable in Pima County.