Cost of Living in Arizona
What it costs to live in Arizona, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 7,582,384
- Median household income
- $81,486
- State income tax
- Flat 2.5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.7
What a typical paycheck keeps in Arizona
The typical Arizona worker earns $50,060 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $7,686 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $50,060
- Federal income tax
- −$3,827
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,830
- State income tax
- −$1,043
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,332
- Everyday costs
- −$17,342
a year, or $641 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Arizona.
Cost of living in Arizona
Prices across Arizona run 1% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing7% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% below the US average
- Utilities8% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,361 | $16,332 |
| Food | $471 | $5,652 |
| Transportation | $372 | $4,464 |
| Healthcare | $362 | $4,344 |
| Utilities | $240 | $2,880 |
| Total before taxes | $2,806 | $33,672 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Arizona taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2.5% |
Standard deduction follows the pre-2025 federal amount, inflation-adjusted ($8,350 for 2026).
Taxes on the median household income
$81,486 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$9,097 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,234 |
| State income tax | −$1,828 |
| Effective tax rate | 21.1% |
Cities in Arizona
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Arizona city we cover.
- PhoenixArizonaTypical worker keeps $7,3091-bedroom $1,474 a month
- TucsonArizonaTypical worker keeps $9,2071-bedroom $1,095 a month
- MesaArizonaTypical worker keeps $7,4771-bedroom $1,460 a month
- GilbertArizonaTypical worker keeps $2,0051-bedroom $1,916 a month
- ChandlerArizonaTypical worker keeps $3,8411-bedroom $1,763 a month
- GlendaleArizonaTypical worker keeps $8,0171-bedroom $1,415 a month
- ScottsdaleArizonaTypical worker keeps $2,4131-bedroom $1,882 a month
What common jobs keep in Arizona
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $194,180 | $106,268 |
| Veterinarian | $152,020 | $77,905 |
| Pharmacist salary in Arizona | $146,930 | $74,554 |
| Physician assistant | $134,650 | $66,467 |
| Nurse practitioner | $134,420 | $66,316 |
| Lawyer | $134,260 | $66,211 |
| Software engineer salary in Arizona | $129,690 | $63,201 |
| Data scientist | $107,240 | $48,127 |
| Occupational therapist | $103,660 | $45,698 |
| Physical therapist salary in Arizona | $103,220 | $45,400 |
| Dental hygienist salary in Arizona | $101,010 | $43,900 |
| Mechanical engineer | $100,270 | $43,398 |
| Registered nurse salary in Arizona | $99,500 | $42,875 |
| Project manager | $99,050 | $42,570 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $97,800 | $41,722 |
Salary pages in Arizona, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant salary
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist salary
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician salary
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist salary
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist salary
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer salary
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse salary
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer salary
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher salary
- Truck driver salary
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Arizona
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $312,490 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $292,760 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $259,320 |
| Pediatricians, General | $233,950 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $227,870 |
| Dentists, General | $194,180 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $167,480 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $166,430 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $158,280 |
| Database Architects | $156,100 |
| Veterinarians | $152,020 |
| Pharmacists | $146,930 |
| Sales Managers | $145,690 |
| Financial Managers | $139,830 |
| Human Resources Managers | $139,820 |
Living in Arizona
Arizona against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Arizona | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $426,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,672 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 34.7% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.4 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16.3% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Arizona with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Arizona?
Prices in Arizona are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,361 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,445 a month.
Does Arizona have a state income tax?
Yes. Arizona's income tax rate is flat 2.5%. On a typical wage of $50,060, a single filer pays about $1,043 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Arizona?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $40,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Arizona earns $50,060 and keeps $7,686 after those costs.
Where in Arizona does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Arizona cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Tucson ($9,207 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Gilbert ($2,005).
What jobs pay the most in Arizona?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Arizona goes to Physicians, All Other ($312,490); Family Medicine Physicians ($292,760); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($259,320) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate