Photo: sm85631 · CC BY-SA 4.0Measured against area pay, San Manuel costs less to live in than 98% of U.S. towns
It ranks #5 of 139 in Arizona for affordability. Down 1.1% in a year, 64% below the Arizona typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area ($88K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Phoenix-area metro earn ($88K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.4 years of metro income, and 42% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $148Ktypical home, 64% below the Arizona typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,530a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$88K, Phoenix-area income
- 10%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 42%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Arizona: 51%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What San Manuel’s housing numbers say
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical San Manuel home runs about $860 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530. Can I afford it? ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,530 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in San Manuel pay a median of $708. Renting ↓
Prices are 10% below their 2024 peak
The typical San Manuel home peaked at $165K in June 2024 and is worth about $148K now. Arizona as a whole is 10% off its own peak. Over five years, San Manuel is still up 7.5%. Price trend ↓
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $803, under the Arizona median of $1,879, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 0.67% a year, against 0.48% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $80 a month. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind San Manuel’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, San Manuel is more affordable than 98% of U.S. towns, #5 of 139 in Arizona. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Arizona: up 7.5% in five years, against 6.9% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.5% in five years
About the same pace as Arizona (6.9%).
Show as a table
| January | San Manuel | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $71,000 | $227,000 |
| 2018 | $75,000 | $244,000 |
| 2019 | $84,000 | $263,000 |
| 2020 | $98,000 | $281,000 |
| 2021 | $114,000 | $324,000 |
| 2022 | $146,000 | $415,000 |
| 2023 | $156,000 | $428,000 |
| 2024 | $158,000 | $432,000 |
| 2025 | $156,000 | $433,000 |
| 2026 | $153,000 | $422,000 |
| September 2026 | $148,000 | $417,000 |
A typical San Manuel home worth $70K in October 2016 is worth about $148K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to San Manuel’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical San Manuel home, with $205K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530 a month here, $670 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, San Manuel’s typical property tax (0.67% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530
Renters already here pay a median of $708, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $803, under the Arizona median of $1,879, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.67% a year, against 0.48% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
San Manuel and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Manuel | A+ | $148K | $120K | 0.67% | $1,530 |
Questions about the cost of living in San Manuel
Is San Manuel expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, San Manuel costs less than 98% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living, #5 of 139 in Arizona. The typical home costs 1.4 years of the median household income of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area ($88K).
How much does a house cost in San Manuel?
About $148K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.1% in a year. The Arizona typical home is $417K.
What salary do you need to live in San Manuel?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $37,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $860 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $61,000.
How much is rent in San Manuel?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,530 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $708 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in San Manuel?
The median bill is $803 a year, 0.67% of the median home value (Arizona: $1,879, 0.48%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in San Manuel going up?
No: down 1.1% in the past year and 7.5% in five years, against 6.9% across Arizona (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What San Manuel buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.