Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Gilbert is a city of 287,285, and it grades A overall, ranked 4th of 139 in Arizona. Residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $123K. The trade-off: homes are expensive, about $566K for a typical one and 6.4 times the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. Gilbert’s July high is 106°F, above both Arizona’s towns (100°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Gilbert has 1 place on the National Register. The biggest park or preserve is Gilbert Regional Park, at 275 acres.
Where Gilbert beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Gilbert | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.7% | 14.7% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Traditional School ? Gilbert | K–8 | 960 |
| Greenfield Elementary School | PK–6 | 919 |
| San Tan Elementary | PK–6 | 854 |
208,453 counted in 2010 and 267,918 in 2020; an estimated 287,285 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.2% since 2020, after 28.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Gilbert is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 865 in 1920, 267,918 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gilbert. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
21 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
21 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
14 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
34 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
13 mi Stadium & arenaMullett ArenaState Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Mullett Arena: Kyvuh, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilbert, 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 Gilbert.
Gilbert fares better on crime within Arizona than nationally and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Arizona.
Its widest gap with Arizona is tooth loss: 7.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.7% statewide.
9.6% of Gilbert adults report frequent physical distress. Only 4 of the 140 Arizona towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Gilbert. 14% of Gilbert adults report frequent mental distress.
| Gilbert | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Gilbert | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.7% | 14.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.9% | 13.2% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.1% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Three of its 96 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willie & Coy Payne Jr. HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,171 | A− |
| Highland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 2,992 | B+ |
| Weinberg Gifted AcademyTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 741 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
At 6.4 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home (about $566K) costs more against local pay than in 76% of Arizona towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The typical value, about $566K, is 9% below its July 2022 peak.
The median rent in Gilbert is $2,110 a month. The typical Gilbert home is worth about $566,000, about the same as a year ago, 36% above the Arizona typical home.
| Gilbert | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,110 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 50,381 in 2013 to 86,939.
Most working residents leave Gilbert for work: only 15% work in town. 26% of workers work from home in Gilbert. Since 2013, Gilbert has added 36,558 jobs, to 86,939 in 2023.
| Gilbert | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 26% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $123,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
62 miles of trail in 101 parks and preserves. Gilbert’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Gilbert | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 15% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch | 3.2 mi | 118 |
| 2. Desert Sky Park | 2.2 mi | 149 |
| 3. Crossroads Park | 1.3 mi | 62 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 105.7°, hotter than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.2°.
Gilbert has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gilbert.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 14.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 78% of Arizona’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 344 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
8 within 15 miles of the center of Gilbert
About 6 of every 100 Gilbert residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.
Where Gilbert’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
18 notable people were born in Gilbert.
Town in Maricopa County, Arizona
Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert had a population of 287,285 as of 2025. It is the fourth-most populous municipality in Arizona and is considered a suburb of Phoenix. Gilbert is the most populous incorporated town in the United States, and has been described as the “largest town in America.” Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Gilbert.
At #4 in AZ, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Chandler (A−) comes closest.
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert | #4 | A | C− | B | A− | A+ |
| Chandler | #9 | A− | C− | B− | A− | A |
| Mesa | #50 | B− | C | C− | B | A− |
| Queen Creek | #10 | A− | C− | B | A− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Gilbert grades A overall, better than 85% of U.S. towns and #4 of 139 in Arizona. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
Gilbert was established in 1902 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 18 notable people were born here, including Ryan Fitzpatrick and MyKayla Skinner.
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