155 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908.
- 1871Sacaton is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

3,429 people live in this town, settled in 1871.
Sacaton’s weakest subject grade is a D− for health. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Sacaton, above both Arizona’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Only 8 of Arizona’s 207 towns score lower on health. Sacaton’s concentration of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile, below both the Arizona town median (1.1) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 14 of Arizona’s 207 towns score lower on the outdoors. Sacaton has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Where Sacaton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Sacaton | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.1% | 7.2% |
2,672 counted in 2010 and 3,254 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Sacaton is from typical.
Sacaton has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908.
Sacaton is unincorporated, so Pinal County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Sacaton.
The share of adults in Sacaton who report frequent mental distress: 28%. Of the 140 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have obesity than Sacaton. Against the Arizona average, Sacaton comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 28.
| Sacaton | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 21% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Sacaton | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 8.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.1% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Sacaton Elementary District. The 2 public schools in Sacaton teach 495 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacaton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 259 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
Sacaton’s average trip to work stands at 31 minutes. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 5% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Sacaton dropped by 459, to 2,055. The top destinations are Casa Blanca (21%), Phoenix (14%) and Tucson (6%).
| Sacaton | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sacaton’s FEMA risk score is 69 of 100. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 24%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons reach 106°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Across 1 park or preserve: 1.0 miles of trail. Sacaton has one park or preserve, 7 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sacaton Ball Field Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sacaton. Close and well known come first.
31 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
31 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
26 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
14 mi National MonumentCasa Grande Ruins National Monument88K visitors a year
26 mi Stadium & arenaMullett Arena
32 mi MountainCamelback MountainMortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Casa Grande Ruins National Monument: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mullett Arena: Kyvuh, CC0 · Camelback Mountain: Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, CC BY 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Sacaton
About 1 of every 100 Sacaton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
Where Sacaton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
CDP in Pinal County, Arizona
Sacaton (Pima: Geʼe Ki: Big House) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,254 at the 2020 census. It is the capital of the Gila River Indian Community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sacaton has no overall grade: it has no figures for cost of living and safety, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).