Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,452.
South Tucson gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $209K for a typical one, or 3 years of the Tucson metro’s $70K median household income. It grades C overall, 86th among Arizona's 139 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $34K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in South Tucson, above both Arizona’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). South Tucson's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. Of the 56 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher violent offense rate than South Tucson.
Where South Tucson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
5,652 counted in 2010 and 4,613 in 2020; an estimated 4,452 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 3.5% since 2020, after 18.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far South Tucson is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 2%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,066 in 1940, a peak of 7,004 in 1960, 4,613 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1979 and 5 maps from 1948 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Tucson. Close and well known come first.
3 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
8 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
7 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
20 mi MountainMount Lemmon
20 mi MuseumTitan Missile Museum
12 mi Zoo & aquariumArizona-Sonora Desert MuseumArizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Mount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0 · Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Tucson, and how to reach them.
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 South Tucson.
South Tucson draws workers from Tucson and beyond, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Against the 1,017 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Tucson’s, it is less healthy than 76%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
South Tucson beats the Arizona average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 27. The share of adults in South Tucson who had a checkup this year: 73%. Also worth knowing: among 140 Arizona towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than South Tucson.
| South Tucson | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 21% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | South Tucson | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 8.8% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.9% | 15.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.8% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Public schools: the Tucson Unified District. Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in South Tucson teach 272 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission View Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 232 | C |
| Las Puertas Community SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–10 | Grades 6–10 | 40 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
2,398 jobs are based in South Tucson, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
South Tucson: 2.5% of working residents work locally. It had 2,398 jobs in 2023, down 414 from 2013. The average trip to work for South Tucson comes to 20 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 7 miles.
| South Tucson | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 3 years of the Tucson metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home (about $209K) costs less against local pay than in 83% of Arizona towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The typical value, about $209K, is 8% below its October 2024 peak.
South Tucson’s midpoint rent is $941 a month. Values fell 5.1% in the year to September 2026. Just over a third of households are owner-occupiers here.
| South Tucson | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 34% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $941 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Tucson U Of A #1 weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 167 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 101.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.4°.
The January low in South Tucson is 38°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| South Tucson | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 101°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 38°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. South Tucson's reported crime rate is well above Arizona's. Of the 56 Arizona towns we compare, none has a higher rate of thefts and burglaries than South Tucson. 109 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
For South Tucson, the risk rating from FEMA is 40 of 100. The national flood insurance program has paid one claim in the town since 2016. FEMA puts 55% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 40% to heat waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Only 6 of the 136 Arizona towns we compare have a lower trail density than South Tucson. Walkers can cover 0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| South Tucson | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 15% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. El Paso and Southwestern Greenway | 0.2 mi | 7 |
| 2. Carmelin Castro Ítom Usím Children's Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
6 within 15 miles of the center of South Tucson
About 4 of every 100 South Tucson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
Where South Tucson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Arizona, United States
South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell traditional Mexican food and other goods can be found throughout the city. The population was 4,613 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 4,452 in 2025.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Tucson grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #86 of 139 in Arizona. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
.jpg){kind=link}
