City profile · Arizona · Census ACS 2023

Sierra Vista, AZ

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

45,203
Residents
$69,783
Median income
$239,000
Median home
$1,129
Median rent (state)

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
31st
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. The typical household in Sierra Vista brings in $69,783 a 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 $1,129 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 88.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

45,203 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Arizona

Median Household Income

$69,783 /yr

Poverty 7.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.7 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average

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 income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 53% pricier than other cities
Median rent 31% pricier than other cities
Safety 35% 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

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 Sierra Vista'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.

49thIncome percentile
35thSafety percentile

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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 47 Avg. percentile National median
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+)

$239,000 47th percentile more affordable than 47% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $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. Sierra Vista $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 - Sierra Vista, AZ Sierra Vista, AZ's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sierra Vista, 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 Sierra Vista, AZ median $69,783/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%
Sierra Vista, 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 Sierra Vista, AZ. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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

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
16
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
44,000 residents44,500 residents45,000 residents45,500 residents46,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 45,383 residents 44,907 residents ▼ -1.0%
Sierra Vista's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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
2019 75
2020 97
2021 55
2022 52
2023 56
2024 5

Permit volume decreased 93% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

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

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 Sierra Vista sits in

Cost of Living Index
100.7
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,129/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
88.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Arizona

Prescott
46,744 people
Oro Valley
47,595 people
Prescott Valley
48,048 people
Bullhead City
42,193 people
Apache Junction
39,746 people
Catalina Foothills
51,756 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sierra Vista's 45,203 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sayreville, NJ
45,237 people
Morgan Hill, CA
45,152 people
Brentwood, TN
45,272 people
Blacksburg, VA
45,288 people
Bountiful, UT
45,093 people
Littleton, CO
45,092 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sierra Vista's $69,783 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Sublette, KS
$69,784 median income
Oakley, KS
$69,778 median income
Glassmanor, MD
$69,778 median income
Kearney, NE
$69,790 median income
Dyer, AR
$69,792 median income
Daisy, GA
$69,792 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sierra Vista, 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 Sierra Vista, AZ - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 66.4% 8.0% 16.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 22.3% White 66.4% Black or African American 8.0% Asian 3.9% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.6% Some other race 4.1% Two or more races 16.4% 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 Sierra Vista 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
Sierra Vista (this city) 45,203 $69,783
Prescott 46,744 $69,151
Oro Valley 47,595 $105,342
Prescott Valley 48,048 $70,793
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AZ FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sierra Vista, AZ?

What is the population of Sierra Vista, AZ? +

The population of Sierra Vista, AZ stands at 45,203 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Sierra Vista, AZ? +

Sierra Vista households earn a median of $69,783 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sierra Vista? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Sierra Vista; 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 Sierra Vista, AZ safe? +

Sierra Vista has a total crime rate of 1881.3 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 Sierra Vista, AZ? +

Homes in Sierra Vista carry a median value of $239,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Sierra Vista? +

The average annual temperature in Sierra Vista runs 61.6°F, 13.0 inches of precipitation, and 0.4 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

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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.