City profile · Arizona · Census ACS 2023

Flagstaff, AZ

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Flagstaff - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

76,333
Residents
$68,041
Median income
$503,400
Median home
$1,921
Median rent (state)

Flagstaff - the verdict

Nationally, Flagstaff sits in the 47th percentile for household income and the 19th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

47th
percentile, household income
85th
percentile, home value
79th
percentile, median rent
19th
percentile, safety
📝 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: Flagstaff, AZ

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 76,333 residents in Flagstaff, a small city within Arizona. Flagstaff households earn a median of $68,041 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.5%. Flagstaff's housing stock carries a median value of $503,400, and the median resident age is 26.0 years. 51.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 562 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Growing), up 19% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2695.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Flagstaff's yearly average temperature at 44.7°F with 22.5 inches of precipitation per year and 65.3 inches of snowfall.

Arizona tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Arizona scores 100.7 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,921 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across Arizona, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Flagstaff report an average commute of 13.9 minutes, with 62.6% driving alone and 12.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 94.2 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

76,333 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arizona

Median Household Income

$68,041 /yr

Poverty 9.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.7 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average

How does Flagstaff compare to other US cities?

Flagstaff measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 47% higher than other cities
Home value 85% pricier than other cities
Median rent 79% pricier than other cities
Safety 19% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Arizona, Flagstaff ranks #46 of 61 Arizona cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Flagstaff's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Arizona, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

47thIncome percentile
19thSafety percentile

47th percentile nationally for median household income · 19th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Flagstaff's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Flagstaff's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 28 Avg. percentile National median
Flagstaff's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Flagstaff's home value compares nationally

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

$503,400 15th percentile more affordable than 15% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $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. Flagstaff $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Flagstaff, AZ Flagstaff, AZ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Flagstaff, AZ-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Flagstaff, AZ median $68,041/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%
Flagstaff, AZ's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Flagstaff, AZ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 51.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.6%

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

Population
76,333
Median Income
$68,041
Median Home Value
$503,400
Median Age
26.0
Poverty Rate
9.5%
Labor force participation
61.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2695.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
463.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2232.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
44.7°F
Annual Precipitation
22.5"
Annual Snowfall
65.3"

Schools

Total Schools
27
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
74,000 residents75,000 residents76,000 residents77,000 residents78,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 77,077 residents 77,260 residents ▲ +0.2%
Flagstaff's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
562
housing units authorized
Single-Family
190
detached homes
Multifamily
372
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 472
2020 588
2021 657
2022 460
2023 874
2024 562

Permit volume increased 19% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
13.9 minutes
Drive Alone
62.6%
Carpool
10.7%
Public Transit
2.4%
Walk
8.8%
Work from Home
12.0%
Other
3.5%

Based on 38,491 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Arizona - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$131
avg/month
Natural Gas
$34
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Arizona state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Arizona state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Flagstaff sits in

Cost of Living Index
100.7
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,921/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
94.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arizona

Casas Adobes
70,770 people
Queen Creek
66,369 people
Maricopa
62,986 people
Avondale
90,644 people
Lake Havasu City
58,037 people
Casa Grande
57,590 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Flagstaff's 76,333 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Cheektowaga, NY
76,251 people
Arlington Heights, IL
76,220 people
Doral, FL
76,490 people
Evanston, IL
76,552 people
Rochester Hills, MI
76,086 people
Scranton, PA
76,074 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Flagstaff's $68,041 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Foothill Farms, CA
$68,042 median income
Forreston, IL
$68,042 median income
Parker, FL
$68,043 median income
Clay City, IN
$68,036 median income
South Salt Lake, UT
$68,035 median income
Red Bud, IL
$68,051 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Flagstaff, AZ Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Flagstaff, AZ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 64.6% 12.6% 6.9% 11.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.7% White 64.6% Black or African American 2.0% Asian 2.7% American Indian 12.6% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 6.9% Two or more races 11.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Flagstaff compares to nearby Arizona cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Flagstaff (this city) 76,333 $68,041
Casas Adobes 70,770 $81,041
Queen Creek 66,369 $134,719
Maricopa 62,986 $94,208
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AZ FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Flagstaff, AZ?

What is the population of Flagstaff, AZ? +

76,333 people live in Flagstaff, AZ according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Flagstaff, AZ? +

Median annual household income in Flagstaff runs $68,041, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Flagstaff? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Flagstaff; the closest available measure is the Arizona state average, a cost of living index of 100.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Arizona vary by metro area.

Is Flagstaff, AZ safe? +

Flagstaff has a total crime rate of 2695.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Flagstaff, AZ? +

Flagstaff's median home value sits at $503,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Flagstaff? +

Climate normals put Flagstaff's yearly average temperature at 44.7°F, 22.5 inches of precipitation, and 65.3 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.