Half of Drexel Heights’ homes were built after 1988
More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #97 of 140 in Arizona. What drives it
Most of Drexel Heights was built recently: 0.5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: maps from 1943 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Drexel Heights is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #97 of 140 in Arizona. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Drexel Heights’ overall grade.
Few Arizona towns list much on the Register (a typical Arizona town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Drexel Heights’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (29% of Arizona towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Drexel Heights’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Black Mountain EstatesCactus Garden Mobile Home ParkCardinal Lane Mobile Home ParkMountainside Village Mobile Home Park
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Drexel Heights, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Drexel Heights yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
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…
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 27,749 in 2010, 27,523 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Drexel Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943San Xavier Mission sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Drexel Heights.
People over time
Drexel Heights, census by census
Between 23,849 and 27,749 people in every census since 2000.
3 censuses, 2000–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Drexel Heights’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Drexel Heights
Nobody well known was born in Drexel Heights itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Drexel Heights is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #97 of 140 in Arizona. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Drexel Heights?
0.5% of Drexel Heights’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.4% for an Arizona town; the median home was built in 1988.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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