US-160 and BIA-591, 2007
Kayenta’s story
115 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
- 1911Kayenta is settled
KayentaAZ
The town, settled in 1911, counts 4,927 residents.
Population
4,927
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$37K
Census ACS
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
29.3
years
Jobs based here
549
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#80 of 139 in AZ
Is Kayenta a good place to live?
Cheap to live in, with trade-offs. Incomes are its weak spot (D−): the median household income is $58K, and 38% of residents live below the poverty line. Its strongest is cost of living — a typical home costs about $37K, less than a year of the Show Low area’s $55K median household income. Walkability is another plus: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. Put together, the subjects come to a C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 80th of 139 in Arizona. Health is weaker too: residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Only 11 of Arizona’s 207 towns score higher on hazard risk.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index.
What makes Kayenta stand out
Where Kayenta beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A shrinking town
Kayenta has shrunk 10% from 2010 to 2020
5,189 counted in 2010 and 4,670 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Kayenta grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Kayenta is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 89% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 2%), so the C overall blends very different results.
Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD−Open →HealthKayenta Alternative Rural Hospital 3.4 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 14.3% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kayenta: who provides what
Kayenta is unincorporated, so Navajo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKayenta Ntua water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesNavajo CountyNavajo 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 hereNavajo County RecorderNavajo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8603386033 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 Kayenta.
Kayenta carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Arizona (mostly inland flooding), but it has poverty well above the Arizona rate and has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
OutdoorsB−
Conserved land covers 0.5% of Kayenta
22 miles of trail. In Kayenta, the trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, against 1.1 in Arizona’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
#40for trails in AZ
| Kayenta | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 15% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 43 of 8,425 acres
22 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC
On state tests, Kayenta’s schools trail 68% of Arizona districts
The largest public high school is Monument Valley High School, with 618 students. Public schools: the Kayenta Unified School District #27. Of its 7 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
32%of AZ districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 447 | C− |
| Monument Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 618 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Kayenta earns a D for health
Of 32 CDC measures, Kayenta beats the Arizona average on 3 and trails it on 26. Only 7 of the 140 Arizona towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Kayenta. Among adults here, 69% had a checkup this year, where Arizona’s towns sit at 75% and U.S. towns at 79%. The share of adults in Kayenta who worry about having enough food: 34%.
8%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Kayenta | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 75% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
3 better3 too close to call26 worse
| What stands out | Kayenta | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 8.8% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.1% | 37.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 18.6% | 7.2% |
Kayenta Alternative Rural Hospital
3.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
5th
percentile among AZ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
A larger share of residents in Kayenta live below the poverty line than in the typical Arizona or U.S. town
Jobs based here fell from 838 in 2013 to 549.
For working residents in Kayenta, the share who work locally is 17%. Jobs based locally fell to 549 in 2023, 289 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Oljato-Monument Valley (31%), St. Michaels (7%) and Cibecue (6%). Half of commuters travel less than 21 miles.
17%work in town
| Kayenta | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 38% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Kayenta17%
Oljato-Monument Valley31%
St. Michaels7%
Cibecue6%
Phoenix4%
21 mi
median commute distance
549
jobs based in Kayenta
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
The biggest natural risk in Kayenta is inland flooding, at a low overall level
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of Arizona towns, with expected losses of about $112 per resident a year; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
Kayenta’s FEMA risk score is 25 of 100. Expected losses in Kayenta break down as 71% from inland flooding and 21% from lightning.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–44°
Spring37–67°
Summer59–90°
Fall39–69°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kayenta
17pages on Kayenta
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kayenta; the nearest are
Dine CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Tsaile64.9 mi$1,410 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM115.8 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Kayenta residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
A commuter town
83% of working residents leave Kayenta for work
Where Kayenta’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
549jobs based in Kayenta
17%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kayenta
CDP in Navajo County, Arizona
Kayenta (Navajo: Tó Dínéeshzheeʼ, meaning "Fingers of Water" because of how water runs down the local rock formations when it rains) is a U.S. town which is part of the Navajo Nation and is in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Established November 13, 1986, the Kayenta Township is unique in currently being the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation. The population was 5,189 at the 2010 census. Kayenta is located at the junction of U.S. Route 160 and the southern end of U.S. Route 163. It is 25 miles (40 km) south of Monument Valley and contains a number of hotels and motels which serve visitors to Monument Valley. Like other places on the Navajo Nation, it is ille…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,702 ft
- ZIP code
- 86033
- Area code
- 928
Questions about Kayenta
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kayenta, AZ a good place to live?
Kayenta grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #80 of 139 in Arizona. It grades D for health and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Kayenta, AZ expensive?
Not for the area. That is 0.7 years of the area's median household income ($54,606 across the Show Low, AZ area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.