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Place dossier plate
SheetAZ-SIERRA-VISTA-AZ · Sierra Vista, AZ 45,203 pop · income 49th 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 Sierra Vista
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sierra Vista on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bullhead City · lowest
47,717
Bullhead City · lowest
47,717 median HH income
25.8% of the leader · rank #1
Oakley · near
69,778
Oakley · near
69,778 median HH income
37.8% of the leader · rank #2
Glassmanor · near
69,778
Glassmanor · near
69,778 median HH income
37.8% of the leader · rank #3
Sierra Vista · this city
69,783
Sierra Vista · this city
69,783 median HH income
37.8% of the leader · rank #4
Sublette · near
69,784
Sublette · near
69,784 median HH income
37.8% of the leader · rank #5
Kearney · near
69,790
Kearney · near
69,790 median HH income
37.8% of the leader · rank #6
Brentwood · highest
184,720
Brentwood · highest
184,720 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 Sierra Vista 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: 45,203.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sierra Vista - the verdict
Nationally, Sierra Vista sits in the 49th percentile for household income and the 35th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
49th
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
64th
percentile, median rent
35th
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: Sierra Vista, AZ
45,203 people live in Sierra Vista, Arizona - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $69,783 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Home values in Sierra Vista run a median of $239,000, and the median resident age is 37.3 years. About 35.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 44.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 5 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 93% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1881.3 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 61.6°F with 13.0 inches of precipitation per year and 0.4 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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,419 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Arizona's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). Workers in Sierra Vista report an average commute of 15.6 minutes, with 75.5% driving alone and 10.7% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 84.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sierra Vista'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 reported crime to housing and income to schools and households to population change to work and mobility to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sierra Vista, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
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.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sierra Vista?
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 1881.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 18% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
How far does income reach against housing in Sierra Vista?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.8%, 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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
What does the education layer cover for Sierra Vista?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 35.0% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sierra Vista?
Within Arizona, the closest population matches are Prescott (46,744 residents, $69,151 income); Oro Valley (47,595 residents, $105,342 income); Prescott Valley (48,048 residents, $70,793 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Sayreville, NJ (45,237 residents); Morgan Hill, CA (45,152 residents); Brentwood, TN (45,272 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.
Population change
Is Sierra Vista growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -476 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 5 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
-1.0%
2025 estimate
44,907
2020 estimate
45,383
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Sierra Vista?
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 75.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 15.6 minutes.
Public transit
0.1%
Work from home
10.7%
Drive alone
75.5%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 19,564 workers age 16+.
What physical conditions frame life in Sierra Vista?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 61.6°F, with 13.0 inches of precipitation and 0.4 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.
Mean temperature
61.6°F
Annual precipitation
13.0 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
84.5
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 7.8% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.7 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average
D
City profile score · Sierra Vista, AZ
48/100
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 B-
35.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$69,783
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate D
7.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime D
218 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger 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.
Sierra Vista profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 67/100 (B-) · 35.0%
Household income: 49/100 (D) · $69,783
Poverty rate: 48/100 (D) · 7.8%
Violent crime: 45/100 (D) · 218 /100k
Cost of living: 37/100 (F) · 100.7 index
Where Sierra Vista sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sierra Vista'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 - Sierra Vista highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Sierra Vista, AZ (this city): home $239,000, crime 1,881/100k
Morgan Hill, CA : home $1,127,600, crime 1,704/100k
Brentwood, TN : home $926,700, crime 788/100k
Blacksburg, VA : home $417,200, crime 792/100k
Littleton, CO : home $596,700, crime 2,732/100k
Prescott, AZ : home $528,500, crime 1,452/100k
Oro Valley, AZ : home $440,400, crime 1,200/100k
Prescott Valley, AZ : home $376,300, crime 994/100k
Bullhead City, AZ : home $196,900, crime 2,648/100k
Apache Junction, AZ : home $196,700, crime 1,938/100k
How does Sierra Vista compare to other US cities?
Sierra Vista measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income49% higher than other cities
Home value53% pricier than other cities
Median rent64% pricier than other cities
Safety35% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Arizona and the picture shifts: Sierra Vista ranks #37 of 61 Arizona cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista near the bottom of Arizona's cities
Among the 394 Arizona cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sierra Vista ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sierra Vista only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#101 of 333
70th percentile in Arizona
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 394
0th percentile in Arizona
Median Home Value
#131 of 327
60th percentile in Arizona
Poverty Rate
#214 of 393
45th percentile in Arizona
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#61 of 394
85th 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
49th percentile nationally for median household income · 35th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sierra Vista's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sierra Vista'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 Sierra Vista's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$239,00047th percentilemore affordable than 47% 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
Sierra Vista's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,676 of 15,516
More affordable than 44% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,423 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.4×, Sierra Vista sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,676 of 15,516 and #1,423 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
$69,783Sierra Vista, AZ median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sierra Vista, 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 Sierra Vista, AZ.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)35.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)44.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
45,203
Median Income
$69,783
Median Home Value
$239,000
Median Age
37.3
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
44.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1881.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
217.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1663.7
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
61.6°F
Annual Precipitation
13.0"
Annual Snowfall
0.4"
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
Sierra Vista's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
45,383 residents
2021
45,734 residents
2022
45,346 residents
2023
44,447 residents
2024
44,441 residents
2025
44,907 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
75
75
0
$13.5M
2020
97
97
0
$16.6M
2021
55
55
0
$9.4M
2022
52
52
0
$8.4M
2023
56
56
0
$9.7M
2024
5
5
0
$1.0M
Permit volume decreased 93% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
15.6 minutes
Drive Alone
75.5%
Carpool
9.5%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
2.4%
Work from Home
10.7%
Other
1.8%
Based on 19,564 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 Sierra Vista. 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 Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sierra Vista 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.