City profile · Arizona · Census ACS 2023

Cave Creek, AZ

Cave Creek's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

5,033
Residents
$102,589
Median income
$791,900
Median home
$1,419
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Cave Creek.

Place dossier plate

Sheet AZ-CAVE-CREEK-AZ · Cave Creek, AZ 5,033 pop · income 79th pct

POP-TOWN · INC-HIGH · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-TOP · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-TOWN 5,033
  • INC-HIGH $102,589
  • COL-PAR 100.7
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 79th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Wayton
  • HOME-TOP $791,900
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Wayton, AR (+ $7 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Cave Creek

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Cave Creek on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Cave Creek on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 5,033.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $102,589. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Cave Creek - the verdict

Cave Creek ranks in the 79th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

79th
percentile, household income
95th
percentile, home value
64th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Cave Creek, AZ

Cave Creek is a small town in Arizona, home to 5,033 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $102,589 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.1%. Typical homes in Cave Creek are valued around $791,900, and the median resident age is 60.3 years. 50.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 46.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 42 residential building permits were authorized in Cave Creek (Slowing), down 19% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Arizona tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,419 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Arizona run around $215, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 21.2 minutes, with 56.0% driving alone and 34.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 84.5 out of 100 (High).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Cave Creek's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to population change to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Cave Creek, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

What does the education layer cover for Cave Creek?

The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 50.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

See how the family ranking is built →

2. Population change

Is Cave Creek growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +228 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 42 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Cave Creek?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 56.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 21.2 minutes.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 4

Which cities make useful reference points for Cave Creek?

Within Arizona, the closest population matches are Three Points (5,033 residents, $53,083 income); Bisbee (4,963 residents, $46,689 income); Citrus Park (5,136 residents, $136,653 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Louisburg, KS (5,034 residents); Ayden, NC (5,035 residents); Archer Lodge, NC (5,036 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Cave Creek?

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 7.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

Household income
$102,589
Home value
$791,900
Value / income
7.7×

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

5,033 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$102,589 /yr

High income · poverty 10.1% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.7 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average

City profile score · Cave Creek, AZ

59/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Bachelor's+ share A-
50.0%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income B+
$102,589

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
10.1%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Cost of living F
100.7 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Cave Creek profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate, Cost of living. Bachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rateCost of living 59 C
Cave Creek profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Bachelor's+ share: 84/100 (A-) · 50.0%
  • Household income: 78/100 (B+) · $102,589
  • Poverty rate: 39/100 (F) · 10.1%
  • Cost of living: 37/100 (F) · 100.7 index

How does Cave Creek compare to other US cities?

Here's how Cave Creek stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 95% pricier than other cities
Median rent 64% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Cave Creek against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Arizona only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Arizona-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Cave Creek near the bottom of Arizona's cities

Among the 394 Arizona cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Cave Creek ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Cave Creek only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#30 of 333
91st percentile in Arizona
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 394
0th percentile in Arizona
Median Home Value
#4 of 327
99th percentile in Arizona
Poverty Rate
#186 of 393
53rd percentile in Arizona
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#28 of 394
93rd percentile in Arizona
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Arizona only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

79thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

79th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Cave Creek's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$791,900 5th percentile more affordable than 5% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Cave Creek $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Cave Creek's home-value-to-income ratio: 7.7×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,941 of 15,516
More affordable than 4% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,960 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 7.7×, Cave Creek sits in the pressured band: national rank #14,941 of 15,516 and #10,960 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$102,589 Cave Creek, AZ median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Cave Creek, AZ Cave Creek, AZ's median household income ($102,589) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Cave Creek, AZ-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Cave Creek, AZ median $102,589/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Cave Creek, AZ median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Cave Creek, AZ.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 50.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,033
Median Income
$102,589
Median Home Value
$791,900
Median Age
60.3
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Labor force participation
46.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
50.0%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
4,900 residents5,000 residents5,100 residents5,200 residents5,300 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,932 residents 5,160 residents ▲ +4.6%
Cave Creek's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 4,932 residents
2021 5,022 residents
2022 5,154 residents
2023 5,187 residents
2024 5,180 residents
2025 5,160 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
42
housing units authorized
Single-Family
42
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 52
2020 77
2021 95
2022 48
2023 48
2024 42

Permit volume decreased 19% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.2 minutes
Drive Alone
56.0%
Carpool
2.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
34.6%
Other
5.0%

Based on 2,108 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Arizona statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Arizona at $215 (electricity about $131 , water and sewer about $50 ).

These are Arizona statewide averages, not a meter reading for Cave Creek. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Arizona's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.7 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Cave Creek is $1,419/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Arizona statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 84.5 / 100 (High).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Arizona statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Cave Creek sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Cave Creek compares to similar-size Arizona cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Cave Creek (this city) 5,033 $102,589
Three Points 5,033 $53,083
Bisbee 4,963 $46,689
Citrus Park 5,136 $136,653
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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