Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clarkdale's standout: it has 24 miles of trail and 28% conserved land. Overall it grades C, ranked 84th of 139 in Arizona. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $47K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Clarkdale’s trail density is 2.4 miles per square mile, above both the Arizona town median (1.1) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). On history, just 18 of Arizona’s 207 towns do better. The biggest place to walk is Tuzigoot National Monument, 405 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
Where Clarkdale beats most towns.
Where Clarkdale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Clarkdale is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,435 in 1920, a low of 892 in 1970, 4,424 in 2020. The archive holds 22 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1944 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clarkdale, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Clarkdale.
Clarkdale fares better on crime within Arizona than nationally, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
24 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tuzigoot National Monument | 1.3 mi | 405 |
| 2. Clarkdale Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 459 | B+ |
| VACTE - Clarkdale Jerome School DistrictLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
At 6.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 100% of Arizona’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
At 2.6 per 1,000 residents, Clarkdale’s property crime rate is below both Arizona’s towns (11.1) and U.S. towns (9.9). The violent crime rate in Clarkdale is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median household earns $46,563, against $79,964 across Arizona, one input to its C− for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 35% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (23% statewide). 12% of residents are under 18 in Clarkdale. Clarkdale has grown 8.3% since 2020, to 4,806 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.8 years | 41.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 24% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.4 points). Across Arizona, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Clarkdale | AZ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.8% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.7% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.6% | 10.8% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.2% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.9% | 23.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 31.7% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 20.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 13% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,800, single groups can be off by several points
Jobs based here grew from 416 in 2013 to 845.
Most working residents leave Clarkdale for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Clarkdale grew to 845 in 2023, 429 more than in 2013. Clarkdale’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Tuzigoot weather station records that about 128 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 97.5°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 31°.
Clarkdale has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. About 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 31°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 4,516 U.S. towns with household incomes like Clarkdale’s, it is healthier than 83%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Clarkdale beats the Arizona average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 18% of Clarkdale adults report frequent physical distress.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Clarkdale | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11% | 13.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.8% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 6.6 years of the Prescott Valley metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home (about $461K) costs more against local pay than in 77% of Arizona towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
The typical Clarkdale home is worth about $461,000, about the same as a year ago, 11% above the Arizona typical home.
| Clarkdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,321 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 76% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clarkdale.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clarkdale. Close and well known come first.
15 mi National MonumentMontezuma Castle National Monument320K visitors a year
16 mi MountainCathedral Rock
2 mi National MonumentTuzigoot National Monument86K visitors a year
17 mi National forestCoconino National Forest
22 mi Canyon & gorgeOak Creek Canyon
26 mi MuseumFort WhippleMontezuma Castle National Monument: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cathedral Rock: Terrydarc, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tuzigoot National Monument: The original uploader was Jhugg at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Coconino National Forest: Adam Baker from Houston / Moscow / Toulouse (travel a lot), CC BY 2.0 · Oak Creek Canyon: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Whipple: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Clarkdale; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Clarkdale residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.
5 places in Clarkdale on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Yavapai County, Arizona
Clarkdale is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The Verde River flows through the town as does Bitter Creek, an intermittent tributary of the river. According to the 2021 census, the population of the town was 4,419. Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community and arts community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Clarkdale.
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkdale | #84 | C | C− | A | C+ | C+ |
| Cottonwood | #106 | C− | C | B− | C | B− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clarkdale grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #84 of 139 in Arizona. It grades C+ for health, A for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. That is 6.6 years of the area's median household income ($69,613 across the Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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