Phoenix vs Yuma
The short version
- Yuma is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the Phoenix area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $230,000 in Yuma and $420,700 in Phoenix.
- Households earn more in Phoenix ($81,332 vs $65,482 median).
- Yuma is growing faster: +8.4% since 2020 vs +3.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Yuma (18 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Yuma, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,665,481 | 105,227 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +8.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,213 | 869 |
| Median age | 34.9 | 33.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,332 | $65,482 |
| Median home value | $420,700 | $230,000 |
| Home value to income | 5.2× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,582 | $1,114 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 92.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 121.2 | 73.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,500 | $69,500 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 67% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.6 | 18.4 |
| Work from home | 19% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 15.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 46° | 70° / 48° |
| July high / low | 107° / 85° | 107° / 83° |
| Precipitation per year | 7 in | 3 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 173 | 181 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 92.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 54% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +0% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +40.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Phoenix: November to April. Yuma: November to March.
Full monthly tables: Phoenix weather by month and Yuma weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,500 in Phoenix and $69,500 in Yuma. Moving from Phoenix to Yuma, you would need about $67,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Phoenix and Yuma
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Phoenix and Yuma.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.