Census-designated place · Arizona
San Carlos, Arizona
San Carlos, census-designated place, in Gila County, Arizona. San Carlos had 3,987 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 4,973 (±566). GEOID 0462910.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,987
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 4,973 ±566
Median household income
$56,302
±$31,050 (90% margin)
Arizona: $79,964
Median home value
$67,200
±$12,659 (90% margin)
Arizona: $394,500
Median gross rent
$540
±$251 (90% margin)
Arizona: $1,543
Where is San Carlos and what county is it in?
San Carlos is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Gila County, Arizona. It covers 8.6 square miles of land, 465 residents per square mile in 2020.
San Carlos is in the Payson, AZ micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in San Carlos, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,987 residents in San Carlos, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 4,973 (±566).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; San Carlos is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | San Carlos | Gila County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,973 ±566 | 53,795 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,193 ±193 | 23,645 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 4.11 ±0.61 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,275 ±199 | 32,742 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in San Carlos?
The median resident of San Carlos is 28.5 years old; 33.2% are under 18 and 8.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 61.4%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 36.1%.
| Measure | San Carlos | Gila County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.5 ±2.8 | 51.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 33.2% ±3.7 pts | 18.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 8.6% ±2.4 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Male | 49.4% ±3.8 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.4% ±1.2 pts | 18.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.8 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 36.1% ±12.6 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 61.4% ±12.6 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 24.7% ±4.8 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.8% ±2.1 pts | 10.7% | – |
| With a disability | 16.8% ±4.6 pts | 23.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.4% ±7.5 pts | 10.9% | +8.1 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.2% ±5.2 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 2.3% ±1.5 pts | 18.7% | −4.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.9% ±1.4 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.0% ±4.2 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in San Carlos earn?
Half of San Carlos's 1,193 households earn less than $56,302 a year (±$31,050), against $61,986 in Gila County and $79,964 in Arizona. In 2015-2019 it was $29,229 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 40.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | San Carlos | Gila County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,302 ±$31,050 | $61,986 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,382 ±$20,613 | $79,972 | – |
| Per capita income | $16,452 ±$3,121 | $35,047 | +$4,167 |
| People below the poverty line | 40.4% ±12.7 pts | 16.9% | −17.8 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 48.7% ±17.4 pts | 25.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 51.0% ±11.1 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 80.2% ±9.4 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 70.0% ±10.8 pts | 82.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in San Carlos?
Owners occupy 56.8% of San Carlos's occupied homes and renters 43.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $67,200 by its owner (±$12,659). The median renter pays $540 a month including utilities.
| Measure | San Carlos | Gila County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $67,200 ±$12,659 | $269,400 | – |
| Median gross rent | $540 ±$251 | $1,030 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 8.3% ±14.8 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $804 ±$283 | $1,509 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.8% ±13.5 pts | 77.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.2% ±13.5 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,275 ±199 | 32,742 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.6% ±7.4 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.2% ±6.7 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.2% ±3.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 16.9% ±8.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.8% ±10.6 pts | 6.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in San Carlos work and get to work?
65.3% of San Carlos's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 18.2%.
| Measure | San Carlos | Gila County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 53.8% ±6.5 pts | 47.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 18.2% ±8.8 pts | 7.1% | −11.9 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 65.3% ±10.5 pts | 66.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 28.0% ±10.3 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.7% ±3.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.1 min ±5.0 | 21.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in San Carlos?
No census tract lies mostly in San Carlos; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9404Gila County | 6,155 | $51,332 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in San Carlos) · Census block assignment files
How does San Carlos compare with other places in Arizona?
San Carlos ranks 136th of 196 places in Arizona with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 96th | 210 |
| Residents per square mile | 91st | 210 |
| Median household income | 136th | 196 |
| Per capita income | 192nd | 209 |
| Median home value | 175th | 189 |
| Median gross rent | 163rd | 168 |
| Poverty rate | 14th | 164 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 175th | 175 |
| Median age | 194th | 208 |
| Owner-occupied share | 183rd | 206 |
| Travel time to work | 145th | 206 |
San Carlos's figures with every place in Arizona (CSV)
Every place in Arizona, sortable · Compare San Carlos with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for San Carlos?
19 of the 57 figures for San Carlos on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for San Carlos are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.