Gadsden-Small Park-1, 2020
Gadsden’s story
111 years in pictures
Census counts: 953 in 2000, 571 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2020 and 3 maps from 1903 on.
- 1915Gadsden is settled
GadsdenAZ
The town, settled in 1915, counts 493 residents.
Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
493
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$241K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
24.2
years
Jobs based here
159
A commuter town
Is Gadsden a good place to live?
35% of residents live below the poverty line in Gadsden, where Arizona’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 134 Arizona towns we compare, none has a lower rent at the middle of the market than Gadsden. Gadsden’s concentration of trails is 4.2 miles per square mile, above both Arizona’s towns (1.1) and U.S. towns (0.4). Gadsden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
493 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Gadsden: who provides what
Gadsden is unincorporated, so Yuma County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAPS17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCs Gadsden Water CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesYuma CountyYuma County provides services here
SchoolsGadsden Elementary DistrictYuma Union High School District2 districts serve Gadsden; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereYuma County RecorderYuma County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8533685336 100%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 Gadsden.
Schools
The schools Gadsden’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Gadsden Elementary District runs its public schools. Enrollment at the town’s public school: 391 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 391 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
A smaller share of households in Gadsden own their home than in the typical Arizona or U.S. town
The typical Gadsden home is worth about $241,000, about the same as a year ago, 42% below the Arizona typical home.
$241KZillow home value
Typical home value
Gadsden$241K
Arizona$417K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Gadsden has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
Expected losses in Gadsden break down as 78% from earthquakes and 13% from inland flooding. Compared with 85% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Gadsden than in most of Arizona or the rest of the country
Only 7 of the 141 Arizona towns we compare have a lower middle household income than Gadsden. Jobs based in Gadsden grew to 159 in 2023, 60 more than in 2013. Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles. The top destinations are Yuma (42%), Somerton (10%) and San Luis (7%).
0%work in town
| Gadsden | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gadsden0%
Yuma42%
Somerton10%
San Luis7%
Phoenix5%
13 mi
median commute distance
159
jobs based in Gadsden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is Gadsden’s year
July afternoons reach 108°, January nights drop to 45° and snow is almost unheard of.
108°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–71°
Spring57–88°
Summer77–106°
Fall62–91°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
108°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Gadsden is
For adults in Gadsden, the share who report frequent mental distress is 15%. Of 32 CDC measures, Gadsden beats the Arizona average on 1 and trails it on 13. Among adults here, 19% have diabetes and 34% worry about having enough food. Only 9 of the 141 Arizona towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Gadsden.
| Gadsden | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 21% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 15% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 12% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
1 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Gadsden | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 29.5% | 13.2% |
Yuma Regional Medical Center
12.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Gadsden is conserved land
8.4 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 6 acres in Gadsden.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,249 acres
8.4 mi
of trails · 4.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gadsden Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gadsden
16pages on Gadsden
The big questions
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gadsden; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Gadsden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Gadsden for work
Where Gadsden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
159jobs based in Gadsden
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gadsden
CDP in Yuma County, Arizona
Gadsden is a census-designated place (CDP) and colonia in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population was 953 at the 2000 census. It is part of San Luis, Arizona and the Yuma County Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 98 ft
- Area code
- 928
Questions about Gadsden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gadsden, AZ a good place to live?
Gadsden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.