Sonoita Hills, 2007
Sonoita’s story
Sonoita in pictures
Census counts: 826 in 2000, 803 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 5 maps from 1932 on.
Explore the history →
SonoitaAZ
In Arizona, this town has 663 residents.
Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
663
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$559K
−0.2% in a year
Household income
$120K
median
Median age
66.0
years
Jobs based here
123
A commuter town
Is Sonoita a good place to live?
Sonoita’s mean commuting time is 55 minutes, above both Arizona’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 141 in Arizona we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Sonoita. Sonoita’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). The biggest park or preserve is Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, at 141 acres. Sonoita has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
663 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Sonoita: who provides what
Sonoita is unincorporated, so Santa Cruz County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSulphur Springs Valley E C14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSonoita Valley (South) Water Company1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSanta Cruz CountySanta Cruz County provides services here
SchoolsPatagonia Union High School DistrictSonoita Elementary District2 districts serve Sonoita; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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.govWho runs elections hereSanta Cruz County RecorderSanta Cruz County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8563785637 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 Sonoita.
Natural hazards
Sonoita has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
For Sonoita, the FEMA risk score is 95 of 100. Expected losses in Sonoita break down as 51% from inland flooding and 35% from wildfires.
95risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
$559KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sonoita$559K
Arizona$417K
−0.2%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Sonoita has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Tucson (17%), Patagonia (12%) and Phoenix (8%). Most people who work leave Sonoita to do it: just 4% work in town. For Sonoita, the middle household income is $120,000. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Sonoita dropped by 34, to 123.
4%work in town
| Sonoita | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sonoita4%
Tucson17%
Patagonia12%
Phoenix8%
Sierra Vista5%
42 mi
median commute distance
123
jobs based in Sonoita
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Sonoita brings mild winters and hot summers
In Sonoita, the typical July afternoon high is 88°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–59°
Spring43–74°
Summer62–88°
Fall48–76°
Nov 21
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Outdoors
9.7% of the land in Sonoita is protected from building
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 1.1 miles.
9.7%conserved
9.7%
conserved · 656 of 6,789 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Las Cienegas National Conservation Area | — | 141 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
A smaller share of adults feel lonely in Sonoita than in most of Arizona or the rest of the country
13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Sonoita. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Sonoita is ahead of Arizona on 14 and behind on 7.
| Sonoita | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 31% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Arizona
14 better11 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Sonoita | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.9% | 12% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.6% | 8.8% |
Canyon Vista Medical Center
25.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sonoita
16pages on Sonoita
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sonoita; the nearest are
Cochise County Community College DistrictCommunity college · Public · Sierra Vista24.1 mi$2,280 in-state tuitionPima Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tucson41.1 mi$2,442 in-state tuitionUniversity of ArizonaUniversity or college · Public · Tucson43.2 mi$13,926 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Sonoita residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Sonoita for work
Where Sonoita’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
123jobs based in Sonoita
4%of working residents work in town
42 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sonoita
CDP in Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Sonoita (; O'odham: Ṣon ʼOidag) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 803 at the 2020 census. The origin of the name of the CDP is the O'odham Ṣon ʼOidag, which may be best translated as "spring field".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,885 ft
- ZIP code
- 85637
- Area code
- 520
Questions about Sonoita
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sonoita, AZ a good place to live?
Sonoita has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.