Flying over Tucson - Quarry, 2012
Picture Rocks’s story
Picture Rocks in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
Explore the history →Picture RocksAZ
A town of 9,448.
Population
9,448
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$230K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
52.8
years
Jobs based here
514
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#90 of 139 in AZ
Is Picture Rocks a good place to live?
Picture Rocks gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $230K, 3.3 years of the Tucson metro’s $70K median household income. It grades C overall, 90th among Arizona's 139 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the median household income is $62K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. Picture Rocks’ July high is 103°F, above both the Arizona town median (100°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). The biggest park or preserve is Tumamoc Globeberry Preserve, at 754 acres.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Picture Rocks for work
Where Picture Rocks’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
514jobs based in Picture Rocks
3%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Picture Rocks grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Picture Rocks is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 1.8% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →HealthSt. Mary's Hospital 11.3 miles awayC+Open →
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 →
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Saguaro National Park and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Picture Rocks. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
19 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
28 mi MountainMount Lemmon
27 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
8 mi Zoo & aquariumArizona-Sonora Desert Museum
34 mi MuseumTitan Missile MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Picture Rocks: who provides what
Picture Rocks is unincorporated, so Pima County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerTrico Electric Cooperative14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAvra Water Coop IncNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesPima CountyPima 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 herePima County RecorderPima County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes85743, 8565385743 84% · 85653 16%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 Picture Rocks.
Picture Rocks has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and sends most of its workers to Tucson and beyond.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Picture Rocks
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Picture Rocks’ schools beat 68% of Arizona districts
Its public schools are run by the Marana Unified District. Its one school is below.
68%of AZ districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Rocks ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 460 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB
Conserved land covers 20.2% of Picture Rocks
84 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Picture Rocks is 1.2 miles per square mile.
#63for trails in AZ
20.2%
conserved · 9,155 of 45,220 acres
84 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saguaro National Park - Tucson Mountain District | 0.5 mi | 21 |
| 2. Tumamoc Globeberry Preserve | — | 754 |
| 3. Picture Rocks Park | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in three of Picture Rocks’ working residents commute to Tucson
Picture Rocks has 514 jobs for its 3,637 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 34.8 minutes, against 25.4 across Arizona.
Most working residents leave Picture Rocks for work: only 3% work in town. Picture Rocks’ average trip to work is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Picture Rocks has added 233 jobs, to 514 in 2023.
3%work in town
| Picture Rocks | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Picture Rocks3%
Tucson36%
Marana12%
Phoenix8%
Casas Adobes5%
19 mi
median commute distance
514
jobs based in Picture Rocks
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Picture Rocks has mild winters and hot summers
The Tucson 17 Nw weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 161 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 103.1°, hotter than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.7°.
Picture Rocks has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
103°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–68°
Spring53–85°
Summer73–103°
Fall57–88°
Dec 6
typical first frost
Feb 23
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
103°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Picture Rocks trails 64% of U.S. towns
Against the 9,314 U.S. towns with household incomes like Picture Rocks’s, it is healthier than 54%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Picture Rocks beats the Arizona average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 25% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Picture Rocks.
36%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Picture Rocks | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
2 better16 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Picture Rocks | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 77.2% | 73.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 6.6% |
St. Mary's Hospital
11.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
25th
percentile among AZ towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B+
Homes in Picture Rocks sell for about $384K
69.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.4% across Arizona.
94% of Picture Rocks households own their home.
$384Kmedian sale price
| Picture Rocks | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $960 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Picture Rocks
17pages on Picture Rocks
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Picture Rocks; the nearest are
University of ArizonaUniversity or college · Public · Tucson19.1 mi$13,926 in-state tuitionPima Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tucson22.9 mi$2,442 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Picture Rocks residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
About Picture Rocks
CDP in Pima County, Arizona
Picture Rocks is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States, home of the Tucson artifacts. The population was 9,551 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 71 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,080 ft
- Area code
- 520
Picture Rocks’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Picture Rocks.
MaranaAvra ValleyPicture Rocks
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Rocks | #90 | C | B+ | — | B+ | C+ |
| Marana | #39 | B− | D | B− | B+ | A |
| Avra Valley | #93 | C− | A+ | — | B+ | D |
Picture Rocks and Avra Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Picture Rocks with a neighbor →
Questions about Picture Rocks
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Picture Rocks, AZ a good place to live?
Picture Rocks grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #90 of 139 in Arizona. It grades C+ for health and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Picture Rocks, AZ expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $230,000, 45% below the Arizona typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.