CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.36° N · 111.42° W · GEOID 0428140

Gold Canyon

Pinal County, Arizona · part of the Phoenix, AZ metro

ArizonaGold Canyon, AZGold CanyonGold Canyon

The short answer

Gold Canyon is home to 13,107 people. Median household income is $93,377 a year and median rent is $1,542 a month, 19.8% 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 $508,100, about 5.4x annual median household income.

The story in Gold Canyon is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 16.1% to 19.8% of income. Also notable: The median resident is 66.6 years old, older than in 99% of places its size.

37OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Gold Canyon scores better than 37% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 42nd of 92 in Arizona.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%37
Economy 20%69
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%33
Education 10%66
Commute 10%12
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
$1,542
13% above the median place
Median household income
$93,377
16% above the median place
Median home value
$508,100
59% above the median place
Unemployment
3.8%
22% below 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 Gold Canyon

  • HousingHalf the homes were built after 2003, newer housing than in 92% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Gold Canyon

Pinal County gains about 38.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in38,712
Moved out25,012
Net+13,700

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$70K
Leavers$60K

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

Who moves here
12.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Pinal County report $70,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $59,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$61,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,542 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,095 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $508,100.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 26.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sanibel, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
6.7%
237% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
12.6%
119% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
38.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year112.6%119% above
Moved from another state16.7%237% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure38.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$70,2251% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$59,64915% below
02

What it costs to live here

94% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Gold Canyon19.8%
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
$61,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.8%
3% below the median place
Home price to income
5.4x
43% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$74,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gold Canyon, $1,542 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gold Canyon, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gold Canyon 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
Sanibel, FL709.0% vs 19.8%$26,100Compare
Tanque Verde, AZ6713.3% vs 19.8%$32,500Compare
Fernandina Beach, FL6115.4% vs 19.8%$9,900Compare
Bear Valley Springs, CA5514.3% vs 19.8%$25,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Gold Canyon.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gold Canyon? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
94.3%
42% above the median place
Vacant homes1
21.1%
199% above the median place
Median year built1
2003
1% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,54213% above
Rent to income119.8%3% below
Property tax rate10.6%37% below
Home price to income15.4x43% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.32% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,7347% above
HUD area median income4County figure$112,4005% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,91811% below
Median home value1$508,10059% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.1%65% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure59.3%15% above
Homeownership194.3%42% above
Renters paying 30%+143.9%13% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,09512% above
Vacant homes121.1%199% above
Median year built120031% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 3.8%, 65% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
3.8%
65% below the median place
Works from home1
26.8%
116% above the median place
Mean commute1
33 min
32% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$60,558 +51%
Unemployment3.8% −22%
Median household income$93,377 +16%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$93,37716% above
Income per person1$60,55851% above
Unemployment13.8%22% below
Average annual pay6County figure$61,0797% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.0%35% above
Jobs6County figure79,97747% below
Poverty rate13.8%65% below
Mean commute133 min32% above
Works from home126.8%116% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.1%87% below
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.04 people, smaller than than in 94% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Median age1
66.6
71% above the median place
Household size1
2.0
18% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.5%
3% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher95.4% +3%
Bachelor's or higher40.2% +26%
Born abroad6.7% −24%
No health insurance6.7% +5%
All 8 people measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population113,1073343rd largest
Median age166.671% above
Bachelor's or higher140.2%26% above
High school or higher195.4%3% above
Household size12.018% below
Born abroad16.7%24% below
No health insurance16.7%5% above
Homes with broadband195.5%3% above
05

Life in Gold Canyon

About 14 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 89% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

107 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents7.6 −25%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k1.5 −28%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k6.1 −45%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails14 km 6.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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

  • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument 26 miles
  • Tonto National Monument 28 miles
  • Hohokam Pima National Monument 32 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars8.3 −60%
Shops11.6 −62%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.4 −66%
Doctors' offices and clinics9.0 −55%
Child care centers0.9 −61%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
26.1
15% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
11.6
62% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
8.3
60% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure142above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure62,325above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure18.419% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure8.360% below
Shops per 10k8County figure11.662% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.466% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure9.055% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure0.961% below
Parks per 10k97.625% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k91.528% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k96.145% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails913.6above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1026.115% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11County figure107above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 102°F, 17% 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 Gold Canyon. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
102°F
17% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
11.3 in
74% below the median place
Good air days15
17.0%
75% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGold CanyonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure102°F17% above
January average low13County figure39°F54% above
Average temperature13County figure70°F27% above
Annual precipitation13County figure11.3 in74% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure93.81% above
Hurricane risk14County figure18.873% below
Tornado risk14County figure37.054% below
Wildfire risk14County figure98.060% above
Heat wave risk14County figure98.910% above
Median air quality index15County figure6756% above
Good air days15County figure17.0%75% below
08

Gold Canyon in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% 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, Gold Canyon does better than 35% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 88%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,542/mo (2024)$1,990/mo$1,640 to $2,430/mo+4.4%
Median household income$93,377 (2024)$118,000$100,000 to $140,000+4.0%
Median home value$508,100 (2024)$755,000$548,000 to $1,040,000+6.8%

The median home would be worth 6.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.4 now.

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

09

Places like Gold Canyon

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

PlaceRentIncome
Punta Gorda, FL$1,410$85,779Compare
Citrus Hills, FL$1,527$85,837Compare
Laurel, FL$1,323$92,340Compare
Wildwood, FL$1,519$76,552Compare
Wildwood, FLLaurel, FLCitrus Hills, FLPunta Gorda, FLGold Canyon, AZGold CanyonPunta GordaCitrus HillsLaurelWildwoodGold CanyonPunta GordaCitrus HillsLaurelWildwood

Places built like Gold Canyon

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 Gold Canyon performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Gold Canyon, AZ19.8%4.3%/yrn/a
Wickenburg, AZ17.6%7.4%/yr10.5%Compare
Citrus Hills, FL21.3%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Fountain Hills, AZ20.1%5.7%/yr-0.8%Compare
Rotonda, FL18.6%8.8%/yrn/aCompare
Sugarmill Woods, FL21.4%5.9%/yrn/aCompare
Saddlebrooke, AZ37.5%2.0%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Gold Canyon a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 37 out of 100, better than 37% of the places we rate and 42nd of 92 in Arizona. Half the homes were built after 2003, newer housing than in 92% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 60 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gold Canyon expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $508,100.

What salary do you need to live in Gold Canyon?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $61,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gold Canyon?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Punta Gorda, FL, Citrus Hills, FL, Laurel, FL and Wildwood, FL.

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 Gold Canyon with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gold Canyon itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gold-canyon-arizona

Citytistics. “Gold Canyon, Arizona.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gold-canyon-arizona/

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