CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.34° N · 111.25° W · GEOID 0455300

Picture Rocks

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

ArizonaPicture Rocks, AZPicture RocksPicture Rocks

The short answer

Picture Rocks is home to 9,448 people. Median household income is $61,634 a year and median rent is $960 a month, 18.7% 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 $230,300, about 3.7x annual median household income.

The story in Picture Rocks is how fast things are changing. Rent took 25.2% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 18.7% in 2024. In the 25 places most like it the share rose 0.8 points on average, so affordability held up better here. Also notable: 70% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 92% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 82 Arizona places we track.

3OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Picture Rocks scores better than 3% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 90th of 92 in Arizona.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%58
Economy 20%25
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%3
Education 10%6
Commute 10%7
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
$960
30% below the median place
Median household income
$61,634
23% below the median place
Median home value
$230,300
28% below the median place
Unemployment
6.4%
31% 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 Picture Rocks

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Tucson Estates, AZ, Chino Valley, AZ and Silver Springs, NV), home value growth here is higher: 15.4% a year against a typical 10.9% a year.
01

Moving to Picture Rocks

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
6.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.7% from another state. County figure.
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
$38,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $960 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,363 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $230,300.
Getting to work
35 minutes each way on average; 15.4% work from home; 1.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Lakehills, TX matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.7%
86% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
3.0
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$76,235
8% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.4%11% above
Moved from another state1County figure3.7%86% above
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

94% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.

Picture Rocks18.7%
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
$38,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.7%
8% below the median place
Home price to income
3.7x
2% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$51,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Picture Rocks, $960 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 Picture Rocks, but easier on the budget

Places that match Picture Rocks 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
Lakehills, TX9013.9% vs 18.7%$30,700Compare
Lacombe, LA8214.6% vs 18.7%$14,800Compare
White City, FL8210.9% vs 18.7%$56,500Compare
Forestbrook, SC8012.0% vs 18.7%$23,500Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Picture Rocks.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Picture Rocks? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
94.0%
42% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
69.9%
38% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,342
59% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$96030% below
Rent to income118.7%8% below
Property tax rate10.6%36% below
Home price to income13.7x2% 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$1,34259% below
Median home value1$230,30028% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.1%65% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure56.2%9% above
Homeownership194.0%42% above
Renters paying 30%+169.9%38% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,36327% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.8%24% above
Median year built119961% above
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 35 min, 40% above the median place.

Mean commute1
35 min
40% above the median place
Poverty rate1
16.8%
56% above the median place
Unemployment1
6.4%
31% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$61,63423% below
Income per person1$31,95820% below
Unemployment16.4%31% above
Average annual pay6County figure$64,2423% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure387,065157% above
Poverty rate116.8%56% above
Mean commute135 min40% above
Works from home1County figure15.4%24% above
Commutes by transit1County figure1.5%76% above
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 52.8 years old, older than in 95% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.

Median age1
52.8
35% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
13.3%
58% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.6%
4% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad5.1% −42%
High school or higher88.8% −4%
No health insurance6.8% +6%
Household size2.5 +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19,4484331st largest
Median age152.835% above
Bachelor's or higher113.3%58% below
High school or higher188.8%4% below
Household size12.51% above
Born abroad15.1%42% below
No health insurance16.8%6% above
Homes with broadband188.6%4% below
05

Life in Picture Rocks

The nearest National Park Service site is Saguaro Wilderness, about 34 miles away.

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 residents2.1 −79%
Playgrounds per 10k2.1 −77%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1.1 −90%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
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

  • Saguaro Wilderness 34 miles
  • Saguaro National Park 39 miles
  • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument 49 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
33.6
9% above 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
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 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 10k92.179% below
Playgrounds per 10k92.177% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k91.190% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1033.69% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% 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 Picture Rocks. 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
MeasurePicture RocksAmong 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

Picture Rocks in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% 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, Picture Rocks does better than 55% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 97%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$960/mo (2024)$1,190/mo$980 to $1,450/mo+3.7%
Median household income$61,634 (2024)$77,000$65,500 to $91,500+3.8%
Median home value$230,300 (2024)$352,000$255,000 to $485,000+7.3%

The median home would be worth 4.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.7 now.

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

09

Places like Picture Rocks

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

PlaceRentIncome
Apache Junction, AZ$1,146$60,975Compare
Gun Barrel City, TX$960$71,310Compare
Spencer, MA$1,049$59,931Compare
Homosassa Springs, FL$939$48,049Compare
Homosassa Springs, FLSpencer, MAGun Barrel City, TXApache Junction, AZPicture Rocks, AZPicture RocksApache JunctionGun Barrel CitySpencerHomosassa SpringsPicture RocksApache JunctionGun Barrel CitySpencerHomosassa Springs

Places built like Picture Rocks

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 Picture Rocks performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Picture Rocks, AZ18.7%2.2%/yrn/a
Tucson Estates, AZ22.5%6.5%/yrn/aCompare
Chino Valley, AZ24.5%4.3%/yr6.3%Compare
Silver Springs, NV29.4%2.7%/yrn/aCompare
Arizona City, AZ17.9%10.5%/yrn/aCompare
Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ18.8%2.7%/yrn/aCompare
Catalina, AZ20.3%6.8%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Picture Rocks a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 3 out of 100, better than 3% of the places we rate and 90th of 92 in Arizona. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Tucson Estates, AZ, Chino Valley, AZ and Silver Springs, NV), home value growth here is higher: 15.4% a year against a typical 10.9% a year. On cost, space and class size it scores 68 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Picture Rocks expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.7% 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 $230,300.

What salary do you need to live in Picture Rocks?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $38,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Picture Rocks?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Apache Junction, AZ, Gun Barrel City, TX, Spencer, MA and Homosassa Springs, 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 Picture Rocks with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Picture Rocks itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/picture-rocks-arizona

Citytistics. “Picture Rocks, Arizona.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/picture-rocks-arizona/

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