Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetAZ-SHOW-LOW-AZ · Show Low, AZ 11,913 pop · income 40th pct
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 Show Low
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Show Low on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Arkansas City · lowest
53,475
Arkansas City · lowest
53,475 median HH income
22.6% of the leader · rank #1
Rochelle · near
63,373
Rochelle · near
63,373 median HH income
26.8% of the leader · rank #2
Montezuma · near
63,375
Montezuma · near
63,375 median HH income
26.8% of the leader · rank #3
Blanche · near
63,375
Blanche · near
63,375 median HH income
26.8% of the leader · rank #4
Show Low · this city
63,376
Show Low · this city
63,376 median HH income
26.8% of the leader · rank #5
Anchor Point · near
63,382
Anchor Point · near
63,382 median HH income
26.8% of the leader · rank #6
Paradise Vall… · highest
236,250
Paradise Vall… · highest
236,250 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Show Low on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 11,913.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Show Low - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Show Low places in the 40th percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
40th
percentile, household income
61st
percentile, home value
64th
percentile, median rent
16th
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: Show Low, AZ
Arizona's Show Low is a small town, with 11,913 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Show Low households earn a median of $63,376 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.4%. Show Low's housing stock carries a median value of $275,000, and the median resident age is 44.7 years. 29.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 46.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 113 residential building permits were authorized in Show Low (Stable), down 2% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Show Low's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2998.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 53.1°F with 15.7 inches of precipitation per year and 19.4 inches of snowfall.
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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,419 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Arizona's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). 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 Show Low'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 climate and hazard context to schools and households to reported crime to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Show Low, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Show Low?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.1°F, with 15.7 inches of precipitation and 19.4 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Arizona is 84.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 29.7% 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Show Low?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2998.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 31% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Show Low?
Within Arizona, the closest population matches are Camp Verde (12,282 residents, $58,383 income); Tucson Mountains (11,428 residents, $132,946 income); Gold Canyon (12,488 residents, $85,833 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Martinsville, IN (11,913 residents); Middleburg, FL (11,911 residents); Arkansas City, KS (11,909 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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Show Low?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.6%
Work from home
8.7%
Drive alone
72.7%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 4,482 workers age 16+.
Is Show Low 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 +706 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +6.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 113 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+6.0%
2025 estimate
12,471
2020 estimate
11,765
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Show Low?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.4%, 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
$63,376
Home value
$275,000
Value / income
4.3×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Below median income · poverty 6.4% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.7 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average
F
City profile score · Show Low, AZ
38/100
5 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 C
29.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate C
6.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$63,376
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
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 F
737 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Show Low profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 57/100 (C) · 29.7%
Poverty rate: 56/100 (C) · 6.4%
Household income: 40/100 (D) · $63,376
Cost of living: 37/100 (F) · 100.7 index
Violent crime: 4/100 (F) · 737 /100k
Where Show Low sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Show Low's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Show Low highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Show Low, AZ (this city): home $275,000, crime 2,998/100k
Arkansas City, KS : home $81,700, crime 2,573/100k
South Miami, FL : home $736,900, crime 2,610/100k
Camp Verde, AZ : home $286,700, crime 1,318/100k
Paradise Valley, AZ : home $2,000,000+, crime 1,069/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Show Low compare to other US cities?
Where Show Low sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income40% higher than other cities
Home value61% pricier than other cities
Median rent64% pricier than other cities
Safety16% 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, Show Low ranks #47 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
Each percentile compares Show Low 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 Show Low near the bottom of Arizona's cities
Among the 394 Arizona cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Show Low ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Show Low only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#135 of 333
59th percentile in Arizona
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 394
0th percentile in Arizona
Median Home Value
#101 of 327
69th percentile in Arizona
Poverty Rate
#230 of 393
41st percentile in Arizona
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#85 of 394
78th 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.
Gauge source note
40th percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Show Low's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Show Low'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 Show Low's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$275,00039th percentilemore affordable than 39% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Show Low's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,624 of 15,516
More affordable than 25% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,254 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.3×, Show Low sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,624 of 15,516 and #2,254 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
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
$63,376Show Low, AZ median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Show Low, 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 Show Low, AZ.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)29.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)46.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
11,913
Median Income
$63,376
Median Home Value
$275,000
Median Age
44.7
Poverty Rate
6.4%
Labor force participation
46.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2998.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
737.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2260.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
53.1°F
Annual Precipitation
15.7"
Annual Snowfall
19.4"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Show Low's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
11,765 residents
2021
11,959 residents
2022
12,130 residents
2023
12,267 residents
2024
12,377 residents
2025
12,471 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
113
housing units authorized
Single-Family
113
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
115
111
4
$28.8M
2020
167
156
11
$38.4M
2021
200
200
0
$49.4M
2022
174
174
0
$42.9M
2023
100
100
0
$25.6M
2024
113
113
0
$27.8M
Permit volume decreased 2% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.7%
Carpool
15.8%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
8.7%
Based on 4,482 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 Show Low. 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 Show Low 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 Show Low sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Show Low 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.
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.