CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.72° N · 110.29° W · GEOID 0482156

Whetstone

Cochise County, Arizona · part of the Sierra Vista, AZ metro

Limited data population under 5,000

ArizonaWhetstone, AZWhetstoneWhetstone

The short answer

Whetstone is home to 2,971 people. Median household income is $51,625 a year and median rent is $1,604 a month, 37.3% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $213,900, about 4.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,604
18% above the median place
Median household income
$51,625
36% below the median place
Median home value
$213,900
33% below the median place
Unemployment
7.4%
51% 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 Whetstone

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 14.7% a year while household income rose 0%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 92 Arizona places.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 325 hours a year commuting, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 86 Arizona places.
  • The median rent takes 37.3% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 92 Arizona places.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $34,100 a year left, less than in 95% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $22 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 94% of places its size.
01

Moving to Whetstone

Cochise County gains about 2.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,354
Moved out7,097
Net+257

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$57K
Leavers$57K

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

Who moves here
8.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Cochise County report $57,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,600.
Income you would need
$64,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,604 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,582 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $213,900.
Getting to work
46 minutes each way on average; 8.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Orange City, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.0%
154% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$56,630
19% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
8.3%
44% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure8.3%44% above
Moved from another state1County figure5.0%154% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.6above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$57,48419% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$56,63019% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 37.3%, 83% above the median place.

Whetstone37.3%
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
$64,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
37.3%
83% above the median place
Home price to income
4.1x
9% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
37%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$34,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Whetstone, $1,604 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Whetstone, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Stroudsburg, PA28.2% vs 37.3%n/aCompare
Boiling Spring Lakes, NC26.5% vs 37.3%$13,300Compare
Panthersville, GA32.2% vs 37.3%$2,100Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Whetstone? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,163
64% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
41% below the median place
Median year built1
1997
1% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,60418% above
Rent to income137.3%83% above
Property tax rate10.5%41% below
Home price to income14.1x9% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure89.212% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,15329% below
HUD area median income4County figure$78,50027% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,16364% below
Median home value1$213,90033% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.1%2% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.9%7% above
Homeownership178.0%18% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure48.2%5% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,58215% below
Vacant homes1County figure14.6%106% above
Median year built119971% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
46 min
86% above the median place
Poverty rate1
26.9%
150% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$51,625 −36%
Income per person$29,058 −27%
Works from home8.7% −30%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$51,62536% below
Income per person1$29,05827% below
Unemployment1County figure7.4%51% above
Average annual pay6County figure$61,0357% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.9%49% below
Jobs6County figure34,61877% below
Poverty rate126.9%150% above
Mean commute146 min86% above
Works from home18.7%30% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 46.0, 18% above the median place.

Median age1
46.0
18% above the median place
High school or higher1
96.2%
4% above the median place
Household size1
2.3
9% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance10.3% +61%
Born abroad6.3% −28%
Homes with broadband90.9% −1%
Bachelor's or higher29.0% −10%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,9716646th largest
Median age146.018% above
Bachelor's or higher129.0%10% below
High school or higher196.2%4% above
Household size12.39% below
Born abroad16.3%28% below
No health insurance110.3%61% above
Homes with broadband190.9%1% below
05

Life in Whetstone

86 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails10 km 5.0×
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.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.4 −16%
Shops29.1 −4%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.2 −22%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.3 −29%
Child care centers2.2 −4%

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

Public schools11
81
above the median place (median 9)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
14.3
29% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
17.4
16% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure81above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure18,063269% above
Students per teacher11County figure17.010% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.416% below
Shops per 10k8County figure29.14% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.222% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure14.329% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.24% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails910.1above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure86above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 10.4, 87% below 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 Whetstone. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk13
10.4
87% below the median place
Annual precipitation12
14.0 in
68% below the median place
Wildfire risk13
99.2
62% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWhetstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure92°F6% above
January average low12County figure31°F22% above
Average temperature12County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation12County figure14.0 in68% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure92.80% above
Hurricane risk13County figure34.252% below
Tornado risk13County figure10.487% below
Wildfire risk13County figure99.262% above
Heat wave risk13County figure99.110% above
Median air quality index14County figure455% above
Good air days14County figure69.9%2% above
08

Whetstone in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 40% of the median income in 2030, up from 37% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,604/mo (2024)$2,120/mo$1,740 to $2,590/mo+4.8%
Median household income$51,625 (2024)$63,500$54,000 to $75,500+3.6%
Median home value$213,900 (2024)$313,000$227,000 to $432,000+6.6%

The median home would be worth 4.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

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

09

Places like Whetstone

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

PlaceRentIncome
Orange City, FL$1,607$57,800Compare
Stroudsburg, PA$1,565$66,674Compare
Pinellas Park, FL$1,631$63,432Compare
Bradenton, FL$1,618$60,822Compare
Bradenton, FLPinellas Park, FLStroudsburg, PAOrange City, FLWhetstone, AZWhetstoneOrange CityStroudsburgPinellas ParkBradentonWhetstoneOrange CityStroudsburgPinellas ParkBradenton

Common questions

Is Whetstone a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 14.7% a year while household income rose 0%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 92 Arizona places. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 325 hours a year commuting, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 86 Arizona places. On cost, space and class size it scores 11 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Whetstone expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 37.3% 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 $213,900.

What salary do you need to live in Whetstone?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $64,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Whetstone?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Orange City, FL, Stroudsburg, PA, Pinellas Park, FL and Bradenton, 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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Whetstone with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Whetstone itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/whetstone-arizona

Citytistics. “Whetstone, Arizona.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/whetstone-arizona/

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