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 2026.
About 16.3 percent of Arizona workers now work from home, the 5th-highest share in the country — our state-by-state commute breakdown shows what that flip did to carpooling.
$42,019 median income · $772 median rent · #1 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Cochise County, Arizona
For a city to be truly hip, it needs to be affordable. So it goes for our most affordable city in Arizona for 2026: 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!
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$58,346 median income · $1,051 median rent · #2 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Navajo County, Arizona
We can all agree that Winslow, Arizona is “such a fine sight to see,” but did you know that it’s also extremely affordable? So much, that It is our second most affordable city in Arizona for 2026. Once a railroad community, Winslow’s residents now find themselves working in education, transportation, and public service to offset their cost of living. We know why you scored an 8/10 on our snackability scale for affordability, Winslow. It shouldn’t be difficult to meet your cost of living head on with the median income hanging close to $58,346.
So do yourself and your wallet a favor, and get-a-movin’ to this affordable Navajo County city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$59,400 median income · $741 median rent · #5 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Yuma County, Arizona
San Luis is a city in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population was 25,505 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area. San Luis, located in the southwest corner of the state directly adjacent to Mexico’s Federal Highway 2, was the second fastest-growing city or town in Arizona from 1990 to 2000. According to 2014 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 31,091.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$55,736 median income · $978 median rent · #11 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Where the 10 meets the 8 in Southern Arizona, is our fourth most affordable city in The Copper State: Eloy.
This little ray of Arizona sunshine is 29th when it comes to home price to income ratio. They are, however, only 23rd 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!
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$60,975 median income · $1,146 median rent · #24 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Apache Junction takes the fifth spot on our list of the cheapest places to live in Arizona. It’s a welcome site for the town of 41,058 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$43,214 median income · $737 median rent · #3 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 census and estimated 20,407 in 2014. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population of 1,027,683 as of the 2010 Census. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$49,346 median income · $783 median rent · #7 home prices in Arizona
Benson is a great place to live if you’re looking for affordability. With a median home value of $253,542 and a median rent of $783, it offers lower housing costs than many other areas in the state. In fact, Benson’s home price-to-income ratio is ranked 33rd 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$50,556 median income · $1,079 median rent · #14 home prices in Arizona
Bullhead City ranks as the eighth most affordable city statewide for 2026.
With a cost of living index of 95, residents benefit from a housing market where the $299,832 median home value aligns with the local $50,556 median income.
The city’s position along the Colorado River offers free things to do with the family on weekends.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$67,023 median income · $1,314 median rent · #8 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
We’re pretty sure everyone has heard of Coolidge, Arizona by now. Not only are they our ninth most affordable city in Arizona for 2026, but they also made our best places to live in Arizona for 2026 list.
Once home to the Pueblo People, this city in Pinal County is now home to Central Arizona College (CAC). 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$65,647 median income · $1,048 median rent · #12 home prices in Arizona
Located in
Graham County, Arizona
At the base of the San Carlos Reservation, on the Arizona/ New Mexico border, is our tenth most affordable Arizona city for 2026: Safford. This Southern Arizona border town is home to the greatest percentage of young folks (25 to 44) concentrated into one city on our list. And if we’ve learned anything about Millenials, they know a good deal.
So what’s drawing the ‘youngins’? Probably copper and gold. The largest employers in Safford are in the mining industry and education. Safford is home to the largest copper and gold mining facility in the country. This might explain why Safford has one of the highest median household incomes on our list: $65,647/year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Arizona’s statewide median.
Arizona statewide median: $423,330
Arizona statewide median: $79,964
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in Arizona
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Grand Canyon State for 2026
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 2020-2024 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 55 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 Douglas.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Arizona. The median Arizona home is 32 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas | 15,981 | 88 | $42,019 | $173,569 | $772 |
| 2 | Winslow | 8,773 | 88 | $58,346 | $203,634 | $1,051 |
| 3 | San Luis | 37,337 | 91 | $59,400 | $238,911 | $741 |
| 4 | Eloy | 17,433 | 91 | $55,736 | $275,410 | $978 |
| 5 | Apache Junction | 41,058 | 92 | $60,975 | $376,628 | $1,146 |
| 6 | Nogales | 19,841 | 92 | $43,214 | $220,632 | $737 |
| 7 | Benson | 5,417 | 92 | $49,346 | $253,542 | $783 |
| 8 | Bullhead City | 42,496 | 95 | $50,556 | $299,832 | $1,079 |
| 9 | Coolidge | 16,636 | 95 | $67,023 | $270,015 | $1,314 |
| 10 | Safford | 10,239 | 96 | $65,647 | $287,457 | $1,048 |
| 11 | Globe | 7,195 | 97 | $69,170 | $238,040 | $858 |
| 12 | Guadalupe | 5,272 | 97 | $51,354 | $243,844 | $872 |
| 13 | Casa Grande | 60,905 | 98 | $69,983 | $319,032 | $1,386 |
| 14 | Somerton | 14,574 | 98 | $74,015 | $271,558 | $896 |
| 15 | Kingman | 34,375 | 99 | $61,792 | $273,783 | $1,058 |
| 16 | Snowflake | 6,444 | 99 | $76,174 | $344,541 | $1,350 |
| 17 | Thatcher | 5,439 | 99 | $82,917 | $350,905 | $939 |
| 18 | Yuma | 100,139 | 100 | $65,482 | $301,508 | $1,114 |
| 19 | Tucson | 547,073 | 102 | $57,073 | $324,023 | $1,145 |
| 20 | Sierra Vista | 45,155 | 102 | $70,291 | $298,883 | $1,150 |
| 21 | Camp Verde | 12,521 | 102 | $69,203 | $431,372 | $1,059 |
| 22 | Show Low | 12,102 | 102 | $60,368 | $436,997 | $1,110 |
| 23 | El Mirage | 36,088 | 104 | $78,050 | $342,377 | $1,806 |
| 24 | Florence | 25,570 | 104 | $79,644 | $333,593 | $1,302 |
| 25 | Cottonwood | 12,580 | 104 | $48,448 | $397,513 | $1,120 |
| 26 | Tolleson | 7,668 | 105 | $59,626 | $394,929 | $1,309 |
| 27 | Page | 7,345 | 105 | $88,826 | $378,791 | $653 |
| 28 | Wickenburg | 8,059 | 107 | $67,600 | $513,341 | $991 |
| 29 | Glendale | 252,833 | 108 | $73,530 | $407,332 | $1,528 |
| 30 | Payson | 16,622 | 109 | $67,710 | $446,820 | $1,345 |
| 31 | Phoenix | 1,642,323 | 111 | $81,332 | $410,169 | $1,582 |
| 32 | Prescott Valley | 49,179 | 111 | $74,569 | $462,396 | $1,580 |
| 33 | Sahuarita | 35,862 | 111 | $104,680 | $353,394 | $1,837 |
| 34 | Mesa | 511,764 | 112 | $82,752 | $435,134 | $1,620 |
| 35 | Chino Valley | 13,602 | 112 | $61,237 | $500,150 | $1,248 |
| 36 | Avondale | 92,477 | 113 | $86,123 | $398,568 | $1,832 |
| 37 | Maricopa | 67,163 | 113 | $96,391 | $346,284 | $1,998 |
| 38 | Lake Havasu City | 58,359 | 113 | $70,148 | $463,714 | $1,320 |
| 39 | Surprise | 154,948 | 114 | $96,711 | $422,473 | $2,033 |
| 40 | Peoria | 196,906 | 116 | $95,815 | $488,596 | $1,843 |
| 41 | Tempe | 188,065 | 117 | $79,663 | $468,281 | $1,743 |
| 42 | Marana | 56,938 | 118 | $112,606 | $436,915 | $1,818 |
| 43 | Oro Valley | 48,162 | 121 | $107,117 | $506,584 | $1,669 |
| 44 | Goodyear | 107,645 | 122 | $103,319 | $469,424 | $1,956 |
| 45 | Prescott | 47,400 | 123 | $70,874 | $605,543 | $1,395 |
| 46 | Chandler | 280,136 | 125 | $108,095 | $524,156 | $1,902 |
| 47 | Litchfield Park | 6,916 | 126 | $126,250 | $525,411 | $1,922 |
| 48 | Cave Creek | 5,091 | 127 | $107,067 | $1,054,562 | $2,493 |
| 49 | Flagstaff | 76,445 | 128 | $71,512 | $656,480 | $1,645 |
| 50 | Gilbert | 280,262 | 129 | $122,551 | $572,507 | $2,110 |
| 51 | Queen Creek | 71,867 | 132 | $141,978 | $632,223 | $2,210 |
| 52 | Fountain Hills | 23,789 | 134 | $112,654 | $670,052 | $1,890 |
| 53 | Sedona | 9,777 | 141 | $73,738 | $909,102 | $1,448 |
| 54 | Scottsdale | 243,821 | 144 | $110,886 | $858,022 | $2,013 |
| 55 | Paradise Valley | 12,611 | 301 | $247,159 | $3,474,597 | $3,501 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 55 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Arizona Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Arizona for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Arizona.
The cheapest cities in Arizona are Douglas, Winslow, San Luis, Eloy, Apache Junction, Nogales, Benson, Bullhead City, Coolidge, and Safford. Not sold on Arizona? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Affordable Places To Live In Arizona FAQs
What is the cheapest place to live in Arizona?
Douglas is the cheapest place to live in Arizona for 2026. It posts the lowest Cost of Living Index of the 55 places we analyzed; Winslow and San Luis are next.
How cheap is housing in Douglas?
The median home value in Douglas is $173,569, versus $423,330 statewide, and the median rent is $772. Housing carries the biggest weight in our cost of living index, and it is the main reason Douglas takes the top spot.
What are the most affordable places to live in Arizona?
The most affordable places to live in Arizona are Douglas, Winslow, and San Luis. We ranked all 55 places with more than 5,000 residents on housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities costs; the full top ten is in the table above.
What is the most expensive place to live in Arizona?
Paradise Valley is the most expensive place to live in Arizona. It ranks last of the 55 places we scored on the Cost of Living Index, and the other priciest spots are listed next to the summary above.
How do you measure the cost of living in Arizona?
We index cost of living data from the Census American Community Survey across housing, transportation, services, groceries, healthcare, and utilities, with housing weighted heaviest since it eats the biggest share of a budget. A score of 100 is the national average; anything under 100 counts as affordable.
