Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,491, founded in 1953.
San Manuel gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $148K for a typical one, or 1.7 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. It grades C overall, 87th among Arizona's 139 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $48K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 83% of the country. On the plus side, it has 28 miles of trail and 48% conserved land. San Manuel’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, against 24 minutes in Arizona’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 88% of U.S. towns. San Manuel has 1 place on the National Register.
Where San Manuel beats most towns.
3,551 counted in 2010 and 3,114 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far San Manuel is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for cost of living (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D for walkability (better than 12%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,524 in 1960, a peak of 5,443 in 1980, 3,114 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
San Manuel 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 San Manuel.
San Manuel trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
Homes are within reach (about $148K for the typical one, A+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 36 miles. At 1.7 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home (about $148K) costs less against local pay than in 93% of Arizona towns; that ratio is one input to its A+ for cost of living.
The median rent in San Manuel is $708 a month. The typical San Manuel home is worth about $148,000, down 1.1% in a year, 64% below the Arizona typical home. 84% of San Manuel households own their home.
| San Manuel | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $708 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Mammoth-San Manuel Unified District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Avenue Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 219 | C |
| San Manuel High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 162 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
Its 6,274 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 82% of Arizona towns.
San Manuel’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Manuel Main Street Park | — | 10 |
| 2. San Manuel Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The nearest emergency room, Oro Valley Hospital, is 22.4 miles away in a straight line. Against the 5,131 U.S. towns with household incomes like San Manuel’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
18% of adults have diabetes in San Manuel. San Manuel beats the Arizona average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 29% of adults say their health is fair or poor in San Manuel.
| San Manuel | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 21% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | San Manuel | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.5% | 15.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.6% | 73.9% |
| More adults with diabetes | 17.8% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 977 in 2013 to 294. The average commute for its 1,331 working residents takes 38.1 minutes, against 25.4 across Arizona.
Most working residents leave San Manuel for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in San Manuel fell to 294 in 2023, 683 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Tucson (15%), Phoenix (11%) and Oro Valley (5%).
| San Manuel | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The San Manuel weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 306 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The San Manuel weather station records that about 116 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
San Manuel has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 96°, January nights drop to 36° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of San Manuel; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 San Manuel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
Where San Manuel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
CDP in Pinal County, Arizona
San Manuel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,551 at the 2010 census. San Manuel was built in 1953 by Del E. Webb Construction Company as a company town to serve the then-new San Manuel copper mine, mill and smelter complex. In 1955 the San Manuel Arizona Railroad was built to connect with the Copper Basin Railway at Hayden. When copper prices fell in the late 1990s, BHP, the owner of the mine and smelter complex shuttered both operations in June 1999. The closing saw 2,500 people lose their jobs. The mine and smelter were permanently closed in 2003. The community is on the edge of the Sonoran Desert with its saguaros and overloo…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
San Manuel grades C overall, better than 27% of U.S. towns and #87 of 139 in Arizona. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
2 notable people were born here, including John Garcia and Marshall Boze.