Phoenix vs Sun City
Phoenix, Arizona versus Sun City, Arizona: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Phoenix and Sun City score about the same overall (52 vs 54 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Phoenix | Sun City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $51k |
| Cost of Living | $57k | $57k |
| Home Value | $340k | $234k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.51% | 0.41% |
| Income Tax | 2.50% | 2.50% |
| Sales Tax | 8.38% | 8.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.66% | 7.15% |
| Unemployment | 5.2% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 55°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 93°F | 94°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.6 in | 9.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 274 days | 274 days |
| Summer Humidity | 54°F | 54°F |
| Comfortable Days | 113 days | 113 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 73.8 | 87.3 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.6 | 33.8 |
| Violent Crime | 2274/100k | 1563/100k |
| Property Crime | 2902/100k | 2265/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,609,456 | 37,748 |
| Median Age | 34.4 | 72.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.60 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.71 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 41.2% | 90.6% |
| Black (%) | 7.0% | 1.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 42.9% | 5.5% |
| Asian (%) | 3.6% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 2.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.4/20 | 8.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 20 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 86.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.47 | 122.13 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Phoenix or Sun City more affordable?
- Sun City has the lower cost of living: its index is $57k, compared with Phoenix's $57k and Sun City's $57k. Median rent is $1k in Phoenix versus $1k in Sun City.
- Is Phoenix or Sun City safer?
- Sun City has the lower violent crime rate. Phoenix reports 2274/100k and Sun City reports 1563/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Phoenix or Sun City?
- The median home value is $340k in Phoenix and $234k in Sun City, so homes are more affordable in Sun City.