Population
275 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Arizona
City profile · Arizona · Census ACS 2023
Tonalea, AZ
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Tonalea - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 275
- Residents
- $34,044
- Median income
- $1,921
- Median rent (state)
Tonalea - the verdict
Tonalea ranks in the 4th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 4th
- percentile, household income
- 79th
- percentile, median rent
📝 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: Tonalea, AZ
Tonalea is a small town in Arizona, home to 275 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Tonalea households earn a median of $34,044 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 40.0%. The median resident age is 21.9 years. About 4.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 27.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,921 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across Arizona, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 94.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
Median Household Income
$34,044 /yr
Poverty 40.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.7 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Arizona average
How does Tonalea compare to other US cities?
Here's how Tonalea stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 4% higher than other cities
Median rent 79% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Tonalea 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 is Tonalea's strongest outlier among Arizona cities
Among the 394 Arizona cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Tonalea ranks #1 - the 93rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Tonalea only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#297 of 333
11th percentile in Arizona
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 394
93rd percentile in Arizona
Poverty Rate
#42 of 393
89th percentile in Arizona
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#327 of 394
16th percentile in Arizona
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.
4th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 4.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 40.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 27.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
275
Median Income
$34,044
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
21.9
Poverty Rate
40.0%
Labor force participation
27.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
4.4%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
60.4%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
22.9%
Work from Home
16.7%
Based on 48 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 Tonalea 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
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Tonalea's 275 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Tonalea's $34,044 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Tonalea 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tonalea (this city) | 275 | $34,044 |
| Central | 273 | $94,478 |
| Dripping Springs | 277 | $48,355 |
| Palominas | 278 | N/A |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AZ OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Tonalea, AZ?
What is the population of Tonalea, AZ? +
The population of Tonalea, AZ stands at 275 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Tonalea, AZ? +
Tonalea households earn a median of $34,044 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Tonalea? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Tonalea; 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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 PlainCitiesEvery 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.