Old store in, 2006
Gisela’s story
131 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
- 1895Gisela is settled
GiselaAZ
Today 587 people live in this town, first settled in 1895.
Photo: Alan Levine from Strawberry, United States · CC BY 2.0
Population
587
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$240K
+8.2% in a year
Household income
$20K
median
Median age
62.3
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Settled
1895
131 years ago
Is Gisela a good place to live?
Gisela’s typical journey to work is 54 minutes, above both Arizona’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 141 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Gisela. 70% of the land in Gisela is conserved, above both Arizona’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Gisela has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
587 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gisela.
Outdoors
Gisela keeps nearly a third of its land conserved
69.8%conserved
The trail network density in Gisela is 0.8 miles per square mile.
69.8%
conserved · 1,281 of 1,836 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Gisela stands out in Arizona and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
98risk score of 100
61% of Gisela’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 36%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 98% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Gisela are worth about $240K, by Zillow’s estimate
$240KZillow home value
Typical home values rose 8.2% in the year to September 2026.
Typical home value
Gisela$240K
Arizona$417K
+8.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
A larger share of residents live below the poverty line in Gisela than in most of Arizona or the rest of the country
0%work in town
0.5% of working residents work locally in Gisela. For half of commuters, work is under 61 miles away. The top destinations are Phoenix (23%), Payson (10%) and Tempe (10%).
| Gisela | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 39% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gisela0%
Phoenix23%
Payson10%
Tempe10%
Mesa10%
61 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in Gisela
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Gisela: four seasons and hot summers
101°summer high
July afternoons reach 101° and January nights drop to 30°.
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–62°
Spring44–80°
Summer64–100°
Fall47–82°
Nov 20
typical first frost
Mar 7
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
101°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Gisela is
In Gisela, 78% of adults had a checkup this year. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Gisela is ahead of Arizona on 4 and behind on 15. Among adults here, 16% have diabetes and 41% have high blood pressure.
| Gisela | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
4 better13 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Gisela | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.1% | 13.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 73.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.8% | 6.6% |
Honorhealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center
47.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gisela
16pages on Gisela
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Getting set up
Moving to Gisela: who provides what
Gisela is unincorporated, so Gila County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAPS17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGisela water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesGila CountyGila 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 hereGila County RecorderGila County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8554185541 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.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Gisela for work
Where Gisela’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
26jobs based in Gisela
0%of working residents work in town
61 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gisela; the nearest are
Phoenix SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Scottsdale50.7 miArizona State University Campus ImmersionUniversity or college · Public · Tempe60.1 mi$12,223 in-state tuitionChandler-Gilbert Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Chandler63 mi$2,358 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Gisela residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.
About Gisela
CDP in Gila County, Arizona
Gisela ( ghy-SEE-lə) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 570 at the 2010 census. Gisela was named after the heroine in the book Countess Gisela by E. Marlitt. The town schoolteacher was reading the book to her students when she was asked by her husband, the postmaster, to help name the little settlement. She asked the school children what names they liked, and they voted to name their new town Gisela. The students did not know how to pronounce the name correctly, so they called it ghy-SEE-lə.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,881 ft
- Area code
- 928
Questions about Gisela
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gisela, AZ a good place to live?
Gisela has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Gisela is in here
Say something about Gisela.
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