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Arizona›Apache County
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Rough RockAZ

With 465 residents, it is a town in Arizona.

Population
465
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$43K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
44.8
years
Land area
13 sq mi

Is Rough Rock a good place to live?

Only 5 of the 134 Arizona towns we compare have a lower typical rent than Rough Rock. Rough Rock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

465 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Getting set up

Moving to Rough Rock: who provides what

Rough Rock is unincorporated, so Apache County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority16.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRough Rock Ntua water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesApache CountyApache County provides services here
SchoolsChinle 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 hereApache County RecorderApache County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8650386503 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 Rough Rock.

Schools

The schools Rough Rock’s kids attend

Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to Rough Rock Community School. The town’s only public school teaches 230 students.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Rough Rock Community SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12Grades K–12230–
Full pageRough Rock’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page
The districtsRough Rock Community SchoolEvery school1 school · Rough Rock Community SchoolQuestions“Are Rough Rock’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

Few of Rough Rock’s working residents work in town

Rough Rock’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both the Arizona town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Just over a fifth of Rough Rock residents live below the poverty line; even so, only 6 of the 141 Arizona towns we compare have a lower middle household income than Rough Rock. The top destinations are Chinle (18%), Phoenix (8%) and Flagstaff (8%).

0%work in town
Rough RockArizona townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line21%12%9.6%
Average trip to work30 minutes24 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$43,000$69,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Rough Rock0%
Chinle18%
Phoenix8%
Flagstaff8%
St. Michaels8%
69 mi
median commute distance
0
jobs based in Rough Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageRough Rock’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page
The jobs here0 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in Rough RockCommute times30 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 69 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

Rough Rock has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

Expected losses in Rough Rock break down as 71% from inland flooding and 20% from lightning. Rough Rock’s risk rating from FEMA is 28 of 100, below both Arizona’s towns (69 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100).

28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
28Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingLightning
Full pageRough Rock’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page
What it facesLow riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters14 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready2.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Expect four seasons and hot summers in Rough Rock

Its peak summer temperature comes in at 91°F.

91°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–44°
Spring37–66°
Summer58–89°
Fall39–68°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
Full pageRough Rock’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page
A year of weatherJuly highs 91°, January lows 20°Rain & snow7″ of rain a year · Rain a yearHeating & coolingHeating & coolingThen and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

Compared with most of Arizona and the rest of the country, more of Rough Rock’s adults say their health is fair or poor

Among 141 Arizona towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Rough Rock. In Rough Rock, 25% of adults report frequent mental distress. CDC measures, 32 in all: Rough Rock beats Arizona on 3 and trails on 26. 31% of adults in Rough Rock smoke cigarettes; 20% have diabetes.

Rough RockArizona townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)40%21%19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)31%13%14%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)20%13%12%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)25%16%17%
32 measures vs. Arizona
3 better3 too close to call26 worse
What stands outRough RockAZ
Fewer adults who have had cancer6.3%8.8%
Fewer binge drinkers12%15.3%
More adults facing a utility shut-off28.2%7.2%
Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility
20.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
Full pageRough Rock’s health reportOpen the full Health report
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby20.9 miles to an ER · Chinle Comprehensive Health Care FacilityHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than AZ on 3 of 32

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

Outdoors

0% of Rough Rock is conserved land

12 miles of trail. Rough Rock’s concentration of trails comes in at 1.0 miles per square mile.

0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 8,032 acres
12 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Full pageRough Rock’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page
Trail map12 miles of trail, mappedPick a walkPick a walkConserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Rough Rock?”

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Rough Rock

15pages on Rough Rock
The big questions
Schools1 schoolHealthBetter than AZ on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingWork & commute$43K median household incomeNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
Outdoors12 mi of trails · 0% conserved landPlacesLibraryKayenta Community LibraryColleges
The story
Climate91° summer highs
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Rough Rock; the nearest are

Dine CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Tsaile37.1 mi$1,410 in-state tuitionUniversity of New Mexico-Gallup CampusCommunity college · Public · Gallup, NM89.8 mi$2,906 in-state tuition

About 5 of every 100 Rough Rock residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Arizona.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Rough Rock for work

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

18% → Chinle Chinle 18% 8% → Phoenix Phoenix 8% 8% → Flagstaff Flagstaff 8% 8% → St. Michaels St. Michaels 8% 4% → Brimhall Nizhoni Brimhall Nizhoni 4% 2% → Gilbert Gilbert 2% Rough Rock · 0% stay
0jobs based in Rough Rock
0%of working residents work in town
69 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Rough Rock

CDP in Apache County, Arizona

Rough Rock (Navajo: Tséchʼízhí) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 414 at the 2010 census.

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

Area
13 sq mi
Elevation
6,280 ft
Area code
928

Questions about Rough Rock

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Rough Rock, AZ a good place to live?

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