Allentown Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Houck’s story
131 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1943.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1895Houck is settled
HouckAZ
The town was settled in 1895 and has 707 residents today.
Allentown Bridge · Photo: Robhan · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
707
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$45K
Census ACS
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
35.5
years
Jobs based here
129
Balanced
Is Houck a good place to live?
33% of residents live below the poverty line in Houck, where Arizona’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 141 Arizona towns, just 3 have a lower January low than Houck. Houck’s concentration of trails is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both the Arizona town median (1.1) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Houck has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Allentown Bridge and Querino Canyon Bridge. Houck has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Houck has shrunk 14% from 2010 to 2020
1,024 counted in 2010 and 886 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Getting set up
Moving to Houck: who provides what
Houck is unincorporated, so Apache County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers2% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesApache CountyApache 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 hereApache County RecorderApache County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes86506, 8651286506 98% · 86512 2%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 Houck.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–48°
Spring31–67°
Summer52–87°
Fall35–69°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 22
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Houck’s workers commute out
Just 3% of Houck’s working residents have a job in town. For Houck, the typical journey to work is 35 minutes. Jobs based in Houck grew to 129 in 2023, 122 more than in 2013. The top destinations are St. Michaels (22%), Gallup (11%) and Fort Defiance (11%).
3%work in town
| Houck | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Houck3%
St. Michaels22%
Gallup11%
Fort Defiance11%
Phoenix8%
32 mi
median commute distance
129
jobs based in Houck
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
More of Houck’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical Arizona or U.S. town
Among adults in Houck, 25% report frequent physical distress. Only 3 of the 141 Arizona towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Houck. This Arizona town does better than the Arizona average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 25.
| Houck | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 21% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
3 better4 too close to call25 worse
| What stands out | Houck | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 15.3% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 23.8% | 7.2% |
Gallup Indian Medical Center
32.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Houck faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
59% of Houck’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by lightning at 17%. Compared with 52% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingLightningCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 9 of 27,066 acres
69 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Houck
17pages on Houck
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Houck; the nearest are
University of New Mexico-Gallup CampusCommunity college · Public · Gallup, NM32.3 mi$2,906 in-state tuitionNavajo Technical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Crownpoint, NM67 mi$4,346 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Houck residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.
Small town
707 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Landmarks
2 places in Houck on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Houck
CDP in Apache County, Arizona
Houck (Navajo: Maʼiitoʼí) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,024 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 43 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,035 ft
- ZIP code
- 86506
- Area code
- 928
Questions about Houck
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Houck, AZ a good place to live?
Houck has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.