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San Carlos wildflowers, 2010
Arizona›Gila County

PeridotAZ

A town of 999, settled in 1943.

1 bordering townMap →
Photo of Peridot

Peridot, AZ · Photo: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗

Is Peridot a good place to live?

34% of residents live below the poverty line in Peridot, above both the Arizona town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 141 Arizona towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Peridot. Peridot’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, against 1.1 in Arizona’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Peridot has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

999 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
San CarlosSan CarlosPeridot
Peridot
Peridot, 2010
Peridot’s story

83 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010.

  • 1943Peridot is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Peridot: who provides what

Peridot is unincorporated, so Gila County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerUSBIA-San Carlos Project16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterScua Upper Seven Mile water system21 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers56% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGila CountyGila County provides services here
SchoolsSan Carlos Unified DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereGraham County RecorderGraham County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8554285542 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 Peridot.

Natural hazards

Peridot stands out in Arizona and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher

Peridot’s FEMA risk score is 99 of 100.

99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
99Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingWildfireHeat waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Schools

The schools Peridot’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the San Carlos Unified District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is San Carlos High School, with 433 students.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
San Carlos High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12Grades 6–12433–

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

About half of Peridot’s working residents commute to San Carlos

Most working residents leave Peridot for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are San Carlos (49%), Phoenix (6%) and Tucson (4%).

3%work in town
PeridotArizona townsU.S. towns
Working residents who work in town3.4%10%8%
Average trip to work25 minutes24 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Peridot3%
San Carlos49%
Phoenix6%
Tucson4%
Mesa3%
6 mi
median commute distance
76
jobs based in Peridot
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Mild winters and hot summers in Peridot

Peridot has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The July high in Peridot is 100°F.

100°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter34–62°
Spring48–81°
Summer69–99°
Fall52–82°
Nov 19
typical first frost
Mar 13
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
100°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults in Peridot say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Arizona or U.S. town

41% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Peridot. Of the 141 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Peridot. 26% of adults report frequent mental distress in Peridot.

PeridotArizona townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)41%21%19%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)21%13%12%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)26%16%17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)25%15%14%
32 measures vs. Arizona
1 better4 too close to call27 worse
What stands outPeridotAZ
Fewer adults who have had cancer6.7%8.8%
More adults facing a utility shut-off25.8%7.2%
San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation
8.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0% of Peridot is conserved land

9.6 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.

0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 3,481 acres
9.6 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Peridot

15pages on Peridot
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Peridot; the nearest are

A commuter town

97% of working residents leave Peridot for work

Where Peridot’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

49% → San Carlos San Carlos 49% 6% → Phoenix Phoenix 6% 4% → Tucson Tucson 4% 3% → Mesa Mesa 3% 3% → Claypool Claypool 3% 2% → Pima Pima 2% Peridot · 3% stay
76jobs based in Peridot
3%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Peridot

CDP in Arizona, US

Peridot (Western Apache: Tséé Dotłʼizh "Blue Rock") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Gila and Graham counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. The population was 1,350 at the 2010 census. Peridot is named for the mineral peridot, found in basalt flows nearby.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
5.2 sq mi
Elevation
2,625 ft
ZIP code
85542
Area code
928

Questions about Peridot

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Peridot, AZ a good place to live?

Peridot has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.