Tempe, Arizona
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Tempe.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Tempe compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 186,419City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $77,643Incorporated place (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($78,538)U.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 130ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)30% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $421,900City limits (ACS)39% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,623City limits (ACS)20% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.1%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 22 min12% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 5420% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 452.4annualized per 100k · citywide25% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3776.1annualized per 100k · citywide22% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 105°F18.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 47°F13.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 7.2 in78% below U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 33225% above U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Tempe with another city
Tempe (pop. 186,419) sits in Arizona. Households here report a median income near $77,643; our housing-derived cost index is about 130 (above the national housing-cost baseline). Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $421,900 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Desert heat and monsoon bursts define the outdoor calendar. Summer highs near 105°F make shade, pools, and strong A/C practical necessities. Commutes average near 22 minutes one-way, with walkability near 54/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 4.1% for the surrounding county. Violent-offense rates near 452.4 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Tempe is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Tempe with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Tempe city, 1600000US0473000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN040130000000003 (Maricopa County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00023183 PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28