Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town has 13,085 residents and lies in Arizona.
Saddlebrooke grades low on several counts. The weak point is walkability. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. At D overall, Saddlebrooke ranks 131st of 139 in Arizona. Nationally, it does better than 9% of U.S. towns. Cost of living is weaker too (D) — the typical home is worth about $499K, 5.6 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. Where it does best is health — CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 72% of the country. The town’s median rent is $2,774 a month, above both the Arizona town median ($1,190 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
Where Saddlebrooke beats most towns.
9,614 counted in 2010 and 12,574 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Saddlebrooke is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 3 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Saddlebrooke 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 Saddlebrooke.
Saddlebrooke keeps more of its land conserved than most of Arizona and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has commutes longer than most of Arizona.
Its 20,468 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 96% of Arizona towns.
87 miles of trail. In Saddlebrooke, the trail network density is 1.8 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 2,596 working residents takes 33.2 minutes, against 25.4 across Arizona. Jobs based here grew from 749 in 2013 to 996.
Saddlebrooke’s middle household income stands at $89,000. Only 8% of working residents stay in Saddlebrooke for work; the rest commute out. Among residents locally, 5.4% live below the poverty line. Jobs in Saddlebrooke grew by 247 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 996.
| Saddlebrooke | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of adults in Saddlebrooke who get no exercise outside work: 21%. Among 140 Arizona towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Saddlebrooke. Two figures for adults locally: 7.4% binge drink, 52% have high blood pressure. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Saddlebrooke is ahead of Arizona on 18 and behind on 8.
| Saddlebrooke | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 31% | 33% |
| What stands out | Saddlebrooke | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 3.4% | 12% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 21.4% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Saddlebrooke, the FEMA risk score is 72 of 100. FEMA puts 48% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 44% to wildfires.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 95.3°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.2°.
Saddlebrooke’s January low comes in at 35°F. About 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Saddlebrooke | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $3,165, against $1,879 across Arizona, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median sale price was $497,000 in September 2026. 95% of households are owner-occupiers in Saddlebrooke. In Saddlebrooke, the typical sale closed at 97.8% of the list price.
| Saddlebrooke | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,774 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 95% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Saddlebrooke. Close and well known come first.
9 mi MountainMount Lemmon
20 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
23 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
29 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
9 mi Ski areaMount Lemmon Ski Valley21 runs · 766 ft vertical
28 mi Zoo & aquariumArizona-Sonora Desert MuseumMount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Mount Lemmon Ski Valley: Bill Morrow, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Saddlebrooke; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Saddlebrooke residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
Where Saddlebrooke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in Arizona, United States
Saddlebrooke is a census-designated place (CDP) and retirement community in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 12,574 at the United States 2020 Census There are two communities managed by homeowner associations within the retirement development; SaddleBrooke One, and SaddleBrooke Two, the latter includes the Preserve subdivision. Eagle Crest is a smaller all age subdivision that is part of the SaddleBrooke (CDP). SaddleBrooke, Arizona is located just north of Oro Valley, AZ. and close to Tucson AZ . The 3400 ft elevation in the foothills results in cooler year round temperatures compared to many other Arizona locations. In the foothills of the Catalina Mountains. It ha…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Saddlebrooke.
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddlebrooke | #131 | D | D | — | C+ | B+ |
| Catalina | #59 | C+ | C+ | — | B+ | A− |
Saddlebrooke and Catalina report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Saddlebrooke with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Saddlebrooke grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #131 of 139 in Arizona. It grades B+ for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $499,000, 20% above 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 D.
