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Arizona›Pinal County
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BlackwaterAZ

A town of 1,958, settled in 1907.

Population
1,958
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$256K
Census ACS
Median age
27.2
years
Jobs based here
71
A commuter town

Is Blackwater a good place to live?

Blackwater’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for walkability. On the outdoors, just 15 of Arizona’s 207 towns do worse. Blackwater has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestACost of livingWeakestD−WalkabilityD−HealthC−Hazard riskCSchools
A growing town

Blackwater has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020

1,062 counted in 2010 and 1,190 in 2020.

1,0622010
1,1902020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

How Blackwater grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Blackwater is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 1.5 of 20; 27.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Huhu Kam Memorial Hospital 10.8 miles awayD−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $256K, 2.9 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household incomeAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsDOpen →HistoryDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 27.2; 4% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Blackwater: who provides what

Blackwater is unincorporated, so Pinal County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerElectrical Dist No3 Pinal County14.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterArizona Water Co - Pinal ValleyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPinal CountyPinal County provides services here
SchoolsCoolidge Unified DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Arizona you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections herePinal County RecorderPinal County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes85128, 8514785128 97% · 85147 3%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Blackwater.

HealthD−

More of Blackwater’s adults worry about having enough food than in the typical Arizona or U.S. town

Only 3 of the 141 Arizona towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Blackwater. 49% of adults have obesity locally, above both Arizona’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (35%). The share of adults in Blackwater who say their health is fair or poor: 41%. Against the Arizona average, Blackwater comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 27.

1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
BlackwaterArizona townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)41%21%19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)31%13%14%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)49%32%35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)20%13%12%
32 measures vs. Arizona
1 better4 too close to call27 worse
What stands outBlackwaterAZ
Fewer adults who have had cancer5.8%8.8%
More adults facing a utility shut-off25.3%7.2%
Huhu Kam Memorial Hospital
10.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
Full pageBlackwater’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby10.8 miles to an ER · Huhu Kam Memorial HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than AZ on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SchoolsC

Blackwater’s schools rank behind 73% of Arizona districts

One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by Blackwater Community School. The 3 public schools in Blackwater teach 330 students between them.

27%of AZ districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Blackwater Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5Grades K–5274–
Full pageBlackwater’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsBlackwater Community SchoolVs. the neighborsBehind its 2 graded neighborsEvery school3 schools · Blackwater Community SchoolQuestions“Are Blackwater’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation

Work & commute

Blackwater stands out in Arizona and nationally, with more of its residents who live below the poverty line

In Blackwater, the average trip to work is 21 minutes, against 24 minutes in Arizona’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The town had 71 jobs in 2023, up 69 from 2013. The top destinations are Phoenix (17%), Casa Blanca (17%) and Sacaton (9%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 30 miles.

0%work in town
BlackwaterArizona townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line32%12%9.6%
Average trip to work21 minutes24 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Blackwater0%
Phoenix17%
Casa Blanca17%
Sacaton9%
Tucson4%
30 mi
median commute distance
71
jobs based in Blackwater
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 0% of U.S. towns
Full pageBlackwater’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here71 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in BlackwaterCommute times21 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 30 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−

Blackwater faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Blackwater’s FEMA risk score is 69 of 100. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 24%.

69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
69High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHeat wavesWildfire
Full pageBlackwater’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters21 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready3.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

The climate in Blackwater brings mild winters and hot summers

July afternoons reach 105°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.

105°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter40–68°
Spring53–86°
Summer75–104°
Fall58–88°
Nov 29
typical first frost
Feb 17
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
105°
typical summer high
Full pageBlackwater’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 105°, January lows 39°Rain & snow8″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard ofHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+1.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsD

0% of Blackwater is conserved land

8.0 miles of trail. The trail density in Blackwater is 0.5 miles per square mile.

0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 11,403 acres
8.0 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Full pageBlackwater’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map8.0 miles of trail, mappedPick a walkPick a walkConserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Blackwater?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Blackwater

17pages on Blackwater
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 73% of AZ districts · 3 schoolsHealthD−Better than AZ on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingAWork & commute71 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
OutdoorsD8 mi of trails · 0% conserved landPlacesAttractions59 nearby · Casa Grande Ruins National Monument 3 miLibraryCoolidge Public LibraryCollegesCentral Arizona College is 7.1 mi away
The story
HistoryDSettled 1907Climate105° summer highs
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Blackwater

Central Arizona CollegeCommunity college · Public · Coolidge7.1 mi$2,250 in-state tuition

About 6 of every 100 Blackwater residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Blackwater for work

Where Blackwater’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

17% → Phoenix Phoenix 17% 17% → Casa Blanca Casa Blanca 17% 9% → Sacaton Sacaton 9% 4% → Tucson Tucson 4% 4% → Chandler Chandler 4% 3% → Casa Grande Casa Grande 3% Blackwater · 0% stay
71jobs based in Blackwater
0%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Blackwater

CDP in Pinal County, Arizona

Blackwater is a native village and census-designated place (CDP) on the Gila River Reservation in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,062 at the 2010 census, up from 504 in 2000.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
18 sq mi
Elevation
1,381 ft
Area code
520

Blackwater’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Blackwater.

Explore the map →
CoolidgeFlorenceCoolidgeFlorenceBlackwater
Coolidge
SE
Visit
Florence
E
Visit
How the neighbors grade
TownAZ rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Blackwater——A—CD−
Coolidge#115C−B+C+C+D
Florence#33BB−A−B−B−

Blackwater has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Blackwater reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Blackwater with a neighbor →

Questions about Blackwater

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Blackwater, AZ expensive?

Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.