Income and Earnings Report for Southern Arizona Cities, Towns, and Census-Designated Places

In 2023, income and earnings varied significantly across cities, towns, and census-designated places located in Southern Arizona. Hereafter, the general term communities will be used when discussing multiple cities, towns, or census-designated places (CDPs). This article explores 41 of the largest communities within Cochise, Pima, Pinal, Greenlee, Graham, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties. Due to the importance of mining in Greenlee County, we also include three nearby communities in New Mexico.

Median household income is one way to gauge the economic well-being of a region. Household income informs local officials, businesses, and policymakers about the financial resources available to households and is often linked to employment levels, educational attainment, and regional economic opportunities. Higher household incomes typically have a greater means of acquiring goods and services.

Corona de Tucson and Vail CDP residents had median incomes above $120,000, the highest among the 41 Southern Arizona communities. Those residing in South Tucson posted a median household income of $33,734, the lowest among communities in Southern Arizona. Of the 41 Southern Arizona communities examined, only 12 had median household incomes higher than the U.S. median of $78,538 and 13 higher than the Arizona median of $76,872. Figures 1a and 1b explore median household income for the Southern Arizona communities ranked highest to lowest.

Figure 1a: Median Household Income for Top Ranking Southern Arizona Communities (2023)

Figure 1b: Median Household Income for Bottom Ranking Southern Arizona Communities (2023)

According to the income distribution across brackets, in Arizona, 4.9% of households earned less than $10,000 in 2023. The city of South Tucson, at 17.0%, had the highest proportion of residents in the lowest income bracket. By contrast, 12.6% of households in the U.S. reported a median income of $200,000 or more. The rate was slightly lower for the state of Arizona at 10.6%. The Catalina Foothills CDP reported a notably high share at 28.9%, which is 16.3 percentage points above the national average. The Tanque Verde and Vail CDPs, along with the towns of Oro Valley, Marana, and Sahuarita, also recorded shares exceeding the national average, at 27.6%, 13.2%, 16.9%, 10.6%, and 12.7%, respectively. Figure 2 highlights the income distribution for each of the 41 communities explored in Southern Arizona.

Figure 2: Income Distribution for Households (2023)

During 2023, 77.6% of U.S. households reported earnings from work. The U.S. rate was 2.6 percentage points higher than the state of Arizona at 75.0%. The town of Clifton recorded the highest rate at 92.0%, leading nine Southern Arizona communities that surpassed the national average. The Green Valley CDP reported the lowest rate of households earning income at 24.7%. Green Valley is considered a retirement community. Retirement communities often have reduced earnings for households. Earnings include wages or salary income and net income from self-employment. Earnings represent the amount of income received regularly before deductions. Please note that earnings and income are separate concepts with income including earnings as well as interest, dividends, net rental income, royalty income, income from estates and trusts, Social Security, and transfer receipts (Supplemental Security Income, public assistance such as welfare and disability, unemployment compensation, child support, and alimony). Figure 3 illustrates the percentage of households with reported earnings for the Southern Arizona communities.

Figure 3: Percent of Households with Earnings (2023)

In Arizona, 33.9% of households received Social Security, a slightly higher rate than the national average of 31.2%. Of the 41 Southern Arizona communities explored in this article, 33 had higher Social Security rates than the U.S. Among these communities were the cities of Bisbee (58.7%) and Benson (51.8%), as well as the town of Florence (54.1%). The Green Valley CDP reported the highest rate of Social Security payments at 83.7%; this is not surprising given the large number of retirees in the area. The town of Clifton reported the lowest rates of Social Security payments at 15.4%. The mining industry is a key employer in Clifton, with mining and mineral processing employing up to two-thirds of the workforce (Arizona Commerce Authority, Community Profile). As highlighted in the 2023 Southern Arizona Communities Snapshot, Clifton's population also has a low median age relative to many other Southern Arizona communities, the state, and the U.S.

Figure 4: Percent of Households Receiving Social Security (2023)

Retirement income in Southern Arizona follows a pattern similar to Social Security, as we would expect. The U.S. percentage of residents receiving retirement income was 24.2% in 2023. Within Southern Arizona, 27 of the 41 communities reported a higher rate of retirement income than the U.S. Retirement income generally flows to older residents. Several communities explored in Southern Arizona report a substantially higher median age than the U.S., with Green Valley CDP leading the way at 73.3. Further, the city of Bisbee, and the Ajo, Catalina, Catalina Foothills, and Tanque Verde CDPs all reported a median age over 55. In 2023, 68.1% of households in the Green Valley CDP received retirement income, indicating that more than two-thirds relied on this source. In contrast, cities like San Luis and Somerton, with younger median ages, reported lower percentages of households receiving retirement income. (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: Percent of Households Receiving Retirement Income (2023)

Just over 5.0% of households in the U.S. received Supplemental Security Income during 2023. That was slightly higher than the state of Arizona’s rate of 4.1%. While many of the communities in Southern Arizona had Supplemental Security Income rates near the U.S. and state rate, notable exceptions include the town of Duncan (17.0%), and the cities of Benson and Douglas, with 14.9% and 12.1%, respectively. The Catalina Foothills CDP reported the lowest rates of Supplemental Security Income received (1.8%). Supplemental Security Income is a federal income supplement program designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people (Social Security Administration). Figure 6 highlights the percentage of Supplemental Security Income received by households for each of the Southern Arizona communities.

Figure 6: Percent of Households Receiving Supplemental Security Income (2023)  

In 2023, 11.8% of U.S. households and 10.1% of households in Arizona received help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP offers nutritional assistance to eligible, low-income individuals and families (United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service). In Southern Arizona, there was wide variation in the percentage of households that received SNAP benefits. The Tanque Verde CDP had the lowest rate of households receiving SNAP assistance at 1.8%, while the city of South Tucson received the highest assistance at 45.9%. Overall, 26 of the 41 Southern Arizona communities reported a higher rate of SNAP assistance for households than the U.S. rate (See Figure 7).

Figure 7: Percent of Households Receiving SNAP Assistance (2023)

To learn more about median household income at the metropolitan or state level, visit the MAP Dashboard core indicator Median Household Income. Additional information about the Southern Arizona places, including median age, can be found in the recent Southern Arizona Communities Snapshot.