Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 37,486, settled in 1962.
Sun City is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 44th of 139 in Arizona, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 73% of Arizona towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $55K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $296K, 3.3 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income. 75% of residents are 65 or older in Sun City, above both the Arizona town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Sun City has 1 place on the National Register. Among 140 Arizona towns, just 3 have a lower share of children under 18 than Sun City.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Sun City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 13,670 in 1970, 39,931 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sun City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
6 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
17 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
17 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
24 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
24 mi Stadium & arenaMullett ArenaState Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mullett Arena: Kyvuh, CC0
Sun City is unincorporated, so Maricopa 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 Sun City.
Sun City has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values still below their peak.
Sun City’s median age is 72.7 years. People 65 and older are 75% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 2% of residents (23% statewide). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across Arizona.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 72.7 years | 41.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 24% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.5 points). Across Arizona, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 72.8, men 72.7.
| Sun City | AZ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0.3% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.3% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 1% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 34.4% | 10.8% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 40.3% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 10.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.3% | 23.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.7% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15% | 20.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 13% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical value, about $296K, is 15% below its July 2022 peak. 68.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.4% across Arizona.
68% of Sun City renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent. The typical Sun City home is worth about $296,000, down 2.1% in a year, 29% below the Arizona typical home. The median rent in Sun City is $1,569 a month.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 68% | 46% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,569 a month | $1,190 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
The Youngtown weather station records that about 175 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 41.9°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 105.7°.
Sun City has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 106°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sun City since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Sun City for work: only 5% work in town. 19% of workers work from home in Sun City. Jobs based in Sun City grew to 8,118 in 2023, 697 more than in 2013.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 12% | 11% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 15% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Peoria Avenue Park | — | 3 |
| 2. 107th Avenue Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 7,291 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sun City’s, it is healthier than 86%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Among 140 Arizona towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Sun City. Sun City beats the Arizona average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Among 140 Arizona towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Sun City.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 6.4% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 55% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Sun City | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.7% | 12% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 6.4% | 15.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 21.5% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
12 within 15 miles of the center of Sun City
About 1 of every 100 Sun City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
Retirement community city in Arizona, United States
Sun City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, that is located within the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population was 39,931 as of the 2020 census. Its adjoining sister city is Sun City West. Both Sun Cities are retirement communities popular with snowbirds.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Sun City.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sun City grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #44 of 139 in Arizona. It grades B− for health and B+ for schools.
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