CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.15° N · 111.05° W · GEOID 0420540

Drexel Heights

Pima County, Arizona · part of the Tucson, AZ metro

ArizonaDrexel Heights, AZDrexel HeightsDrexel Heights

The short answer

Drexel Heights is home to 27,675 people. Median household income is $73,508 a year and median rent is $1,342 a month, 21.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $250,100, about 3.4x annual median household income.

The story in Drexel Heights is how fast things are changing. Home values rose 12.8% a year between the 2019 and 2024 surveys while incomes rose 4.9%, a wider gap than in 94% of places its size. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs only about $115 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of places its size.

31OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Drexel Heights scores better than 31% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 51st of 92 in Arizona.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%51
Economy 20%42
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%53
Education 10%15
Commute 10%39
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,342
2% below the median place
Median household income
$73,508
8% below the median place
Median home value
$250,100
22% below the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
9% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Drexel Heights

  • Housing85% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 90% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Drexel Heights

Pima County gains about 3.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in37,193
Moved out34,748
Net+2,445

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Arizona, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ArizonaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$76K
Leavers$71K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Pima County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.1% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Pima County report $76,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $70,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$53,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,342 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,457 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $250,100.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 10.9% work from home; 1.3% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Briar, TX matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.4%
58% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.1%
43% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
3.0
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year12.4%58% below
Moved from another state11.1%43% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$76,2358% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$70,7391% above
02

What it costs to live here

Home values are about 20% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture.

Drexel Heights21.9%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$53,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.9%
7% above the median place
Home price to income
3.4x
11% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$59,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Drexel Heights, $1,342 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Drexel Heights, but easier on the budget

Places that match Drexel Heights on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Briar, TX9114.2% vs 21.9%$30,800Compare
Silver Lakes, CA9017.8% vs 21.9%$34,900Compare
Deer Park, TX9015.8% vs 21.9%$28,200Compare
Norco, CA8818.1% vs 21.9%$44,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Drexel Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Drexel Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
84.8%
28% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,723
47% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,457
22% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,3422% below
Rent to income121.9%7% above
Property tax rate10.7%24% below
Home price to income13.4x11% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure96.94% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,40513% below
HUD area median income4County figure$99,8007% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,72347% below
Median home value1$250,10022% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.1%65% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.2%9% above
Homeownership184.8%28% above
Renters paying 30%+151.9%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,45722% below
Vacant homes16.5%7% below
Median year built119881% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $28,334, 29% below the median place.

Income per person1
$28,334
29% below the median place
Poverty rate1
14.6%
36% above the median place
Mean commute1
27 min
8% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home10.9% −13%
Unemployment5.3% +9%
Median household income$73,508 −8%
Commutes by transit1.3% +47%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$73,5088% below
Income per person1$28,33429% below
Unemployment15.3%9% above
Average annual pay6County figure$64,2423% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure387,065157% above
Poverty rate114.6%36% above
Mean commute127 min8% above
Works from home110.9%13% below
Commutes by transit11.3%47% above
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 17.6%, 45% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
17.6%
45% below the median place
Household size1
2.9
18% above the median place
High school or higher1
85.6%
7% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance9.7% +52%
Born abroad15.4% +75%
Median age37.3 −4%
Homes with broadband92.0% −0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population127,6751667th largest
Median age137.34% below
Bachelor's or higher117.6%45% below
High school or higher185.6%7% below
Household size12.918% above
Born abroad115.4%75% above
No health insurance19.7%52% above
Homes with broadband192.0%0% below
05

Life in Drexel Heights

About 23 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 87% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

222 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents7.6 −25%
Playgrounds per 10k19.5 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k2.9 +36%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1.8 −84%
Libraries per 10k0.7 −17%
Named paths and bike trails23 km 11.4×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.3 10.9×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Saguaro Wilderness 21 miles
  • Saguaro National Park 26 miles
  • Tumacácori National Historical Park 40 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.6 −15%
Shops24.1 −20%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.4 −17%
Doctors' offices and clinics20.3 +0%
Child care centers1.5 −35%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
20.6
33% below the median place
Public schools12
363
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
140,387
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure363above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure140,387above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure16.78% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.615% below
Shops per 10k8County figure24.120% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.417% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure20.30% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.535% below
Parks per 10k97.625% below
Playgrounds per 10k919.5107% above
Grocery stores per 10k92.936% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k91.884% below
Libraries per 10k90.717% below
Named paths and bike trails922.9above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi92.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1020.633% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11County figure222above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 100°F, 15% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Drexel Heights. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
100°F
15% above the median place
Heat wave risk14
99.8
11% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
11.4 in
74% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureDrexel HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure100°F15% above
January average low13County figure38°F50% above
Average temperature13County figure68°F24% above
Annual precipitation13County figure11.4 in74% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.17% above
Hurricane risk14County figure18.774% below
Tornado risk14County figure37.554% below
Wildfire risk14County figure99.763% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.811% above
Median air quality index15County figure5426% above
Good air days15County figure33.7%51% below
08

Drexel Heights in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Drexel Heights does better than 47% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 93%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,342/mo (2024)$1,730/mo$1,420 to $2,110/mo+4.4%
Median household income$73,508 (2024)$93,500$79,000 to $111,000+4.1%
Median home value$250,100 (2024)$375,000$273,000 to $517,000+7.0%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Drexel Heights

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Cambridge, MN$1,302$69,154Compare
La Porte, TX$1,378$80,753Compare
Bellview, FL$1,344$69,890Compare
Woodmere, LA$1,382$75,828Compare
Woodmere, LABellview, FLLa Porte, TXCambridge, MNDrexel Heights, AZDrexel HeightsCambridgeLa PorteBellviewWoodmereDrexel HeightsCambridgeLa PorteBellviewWoodmere

Places built like Drexel Heights

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Drexel Heights performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Drexel Heights, AZ21.9%4.9%/yrn/a
Security-Widefield, CO23.6%5.6%/yrn/aCompare
Magna, UT21.6%7.5%/yr21.0%Compare
Roy, UT21.3%5.4%/yr-1.3%Compare
Sun Valley, NV18.8%6.2%/yrn/aCompare
Eloy, AZ21.1%6.9%/yr27.8%Compare
Tooele, UT15.1%8.5%/yr18.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Drexel Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 31 out of 100, better than 31% of the places we rate and 51st of 92 in Arizona. 85% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 90% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 74 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Drexel Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $250,100.

What salary do you need to live in Drexel Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $53,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Drexel Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cambridge, MN, La Porte, TX, Bellview, FL and Woodmere, LA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Drexel Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Drexel Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/drexel-heights-arizona

Citytistics. “Drexel Heights, Arizona.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/drexel-heights-arizona/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.