Rattlesnake 515, 2009
Drexel Heights’s story
Drexel Heights in pictures
Census counts: 23,849 in 2000, 27,523 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1943 on.
Explore the history →Drexel HeightsAZ
A town of 27,675.
Population
27,675
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$250K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
2,396
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#77 of 139 in AZ
Is Drexel Heights a good place to live?
Drexel Heights is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, ranked 77th of 139 in Arizona, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools outperform 51% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $250K, 3.6 years of the Tucson metro’s $70K median household income. Drexel Heights’ trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both Arizona’s towns (1.1) and U.S. towns (0.4). Robles Pass Trail Park, at 1,012 acres with 16.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Drexel Heights for work
Where Drexel Heights’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,396jobs based in Drexel Heights
3%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Drexel Heights grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Drexel Heights is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.9 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Jobs & income$74K median household incomeC+Open →HealthBanner-University Medical Center South Campus 7.2 miles awayB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 101° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.3; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Saguaro National Park and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Drexel Heights. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
8 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
11 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
26 mi MountainMount Lemmon
17 mi MuseumTitan Missile Museum
10 mi Zoo & aquariumArizona-Sonora Desert MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Mount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Drexel Heights: who provides what
Drexel Heights is unincorporated, so Pima County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTucson Electric Power14.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Tucson water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPima CountyPima County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections herePima County RecorderPima County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes85746, 8575785746 88% · 85757 12%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 Drexel Heights.
Drexel Heights has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Tucson and beyond.
OutdoorsA
Drexel Heights has set aside 14.4% of its land for conservation
31 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves.
#42for trails in AZ
14.4%
conserved · 1,761 of 12,264 acres
31 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robles Pass Trail Park | 16.5 mi | 1,012 |
| 2. Winston Reynolds Manzanita District Park | 2.8 mi | 109 |
| 3. Westview Pointe | 0.4 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB−
For schools, Drexel Heights earns a B−
Its public schools are run by the Tucson Unified District. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
51%of AZ districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vesey Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 673 | C |
| PCJTED - Southwest Alt. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About half of Drexel Heights’ working residents commute to Tucson
Drexel Heights has 2,396 jobs for its 11,165 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 880 in 2013 to 2,396.
Most working residents leave Drexel Heights for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Drexel Heights grew to 2,396 in 2023, 1,516 more than in 2013. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Drexel Heights, above both the Arizona town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
3%work in town
| Drexel Heights | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Drexel Heights3%
Tucson49%
Phoenix9%
Casas Adobes3%
Tempe2%
11 mi
median commute distance
2,396
jobs based in Drexel Heights
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Drexel Heights, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Drexel Heights.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesWildfire
4
paid flood claims since 1990
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Drexel Heights, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Tucson Intl Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 307 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Tucson Intl Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 158 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Drexel Heights has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The July high in Drexel Heights is 100°F.
101°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–67°
Spring52–83°
Summer72–100°
Fall57–86°
Dec 9
typical first frost
Feb 5
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
101°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Residents of Drexel Heights are less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
Drexel Heights beats the Arizona average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 20% of Drexel Heights adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Drexel Heights | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 21% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Drexel Heights | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 20.2% | 13.2% |
VA S. Arizona Healthcare System
5.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among AZ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Drexel Heights sells for about $299K at the median
85% of households own their home in Drexel Heights.
$299Kmedian sale price
| Drexel Heights | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,342 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
97
days on market
99.7%
sale-to-list price
19
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Drexel Heights
17pages on Drexel Heights
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Drexel Heights
University of ArizonaUniversity or college · Public · Tucson8.3 mi$13,926 in-state tuitionPima Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tucson10.8 mi$2,442 in-state tuitionArizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental MedicineUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Tucson10.8 mi
About 8 of every 100 Drexel Heights residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
About Drexel Heights
CDP in Pima County, Arizona
Drexel Heights is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 27,749 at the 2010 census. The area is said to be named after financier Francis Anthony Drexel, the father of Saint Katharine Drexel (who established missions to Blacks and Native Americans throughout the United States). Drexel is said to have owned property in the Drexel Heights area and eastward during the late 19th century, although no proof has ever been found that he owned land in the area. Francis A. Drexel died in 1885. Drexel Road was likely named after Saint Katharine Drexel. However, her father Francis A. Drexel didn't own land in the area as h…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 20 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,526 ft
- Area code
- 520
Drexel Heights’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Drexel Heights.
TucsonValencia WestTucson EstatesDrexel Heights
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel Heights | #77 | C | C+ | — | B− | B− |
| Tucson | #108 | C− | C | D | B | B− |
| Valencia West | #94 | C− | C− | — | B− | B+ |
| Tucson Estates | #51 | B− | B | — | B− | B |
Drexel Heights, Valencia West and Tucson Estates report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Drexel Heights with a neighbor →
Questions about Drexel Heights
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Drexel Heights, AZ a good place to live?
Drexel Heights grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #77 of 139 in Arizona. It grades B− for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Drexel Heights, AZ expensive?
The typical home is worth about $250,000, 40% below the Arizona typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.