Cost of living in Oro Valley 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 Oro Valley 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 Oro Valley is 125, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Oro Valley is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Oro Valley ranks as the #71 cheapest in Arizona out of 92.
Oro Valley ranks as the #4,715 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Oro Valley is $504,877.
The median income in Oro Valley is $105,342.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Oro Valley has an overall cost of living index of 125, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Arizona, Oro Valley has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Arizona's index of 102.
The standard of living in Oro Valley ranks as #71 most affordable out of the 92 places we measured in Arizona. By definition, that implies Oro Valley ranks as the #21 most expensive place in the Grand Canyon State.
For more reading on life in Oro Valley, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Oro Valley. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Oro Valley is 110.
The Groceries index in Oro Valley is 107.
The Health index in Oro Valley is 91.
The Housing index in Oro Valley is 166.
The Transportation index in Oro Valley is 108.
The Utilities index in Oro Valley is 100.
| Living Expense | Oro Valley | Arizona | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 125 | 102 | 100 | |
| Services | 110 | 102 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 91 | 95 | 100 | |
| Housing | 166 | 99 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 108 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 100 | 96 | 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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Oro Valley is $504,877.
The Median Rent in Oro Valley is $1,602.
The Median Income in Oro Valley is $105,342.
The Home Value To Income in Oro Valley is 4.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Oro Valley is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Oro Valley | Arizona | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $504,877 | $422,479 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,602 | $1,431 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $105,342 | $76,872 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 4.8x | 5.5x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.22x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Oro Valley | Arizona | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.33 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $12.36 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $13.68 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $29.15 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $45.06 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Oro Valley | Arizona | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.07 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.75 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $4.58 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $12.52 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Oro Valley | Arizona | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $116.73 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $125.31 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $101.61 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Oro Valley | Arizona | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.05 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $52.24 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Oro Valley | Arizona | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $198.69 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $193.2 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Oro Valley. 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 111, 0.9x Oro Valley.
Marana, AZ has a cost of living index of 118, 0.9x Oro Valley.
Catalina Foothills, AZ has a cost of living index of 137, 1.1x Oro Valley.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Oro Valley | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Casas Adobes, AZ | 70,770 | 111 | 0.9x | 
| Marana, AZ | 54,487 | 118 | 0.9x | 
| Catalina Foothills, AZ | 51,756 | 137 | 1.1x | 
| Drexel Heights, AZ | 27,636 | 99 | 0.8x | 
| Flowing Wells, AZ | 16,989 | 89 | 0.7x | 
| Tanque Verde, AZ | 15,531 | 138 | 1.1x | 
| Tucson Estates, AZ | 12,687 | 99 | 0.8x | 
| Saddlebrooke, AZ | 12,616 | 135 | 1.1x | 
| Picture Rocks, AZ | 9,665 | 99 | 0.8x | 
| Catalina, AZ | 6,908 | 102 | 0.8x |