Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 37,486, settled in 1962.
Middle of the road on almost everything. Schools are its strong suit: its schools outperform 73% of the state's. Its lowest grade is for incomes (C+) — the median household income is $55K, and just over one in ten 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. Hazard risk is weaker too — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 65% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Overall, that makes a B−, better than 50% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 44th of 139 in Arizona. Sun City has 1 place on the National Register.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
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.
The share of residents in Sun City who are 65 or older is 75%, above both the Arizona town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). The town’s median age stands at 72.7 years. College graduates make up 26% of adults 25 and older, against 33% across Arizona.
| Sun City | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 75% | 22% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 1.3% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 72.7 years | 41.8 years | 40.5 years |
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.
Sun City’s rent at the middle of the market comes in at $1,569 a month. The share of renter households in Sun City who spend 30% or more of their income on rent is 68%, against 46% in Arizona’s towns and 48% across U.S. towns. The typical Sun City home is worth about $296,000, down 2.1% in a year, 29% below the Arizona typical home. 84% of households own their home here.
| 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°.
In Sun City, the January low is 42°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| 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
FEMA puts 54% of Sun City’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 43% to heat waves. This Arizona town has had one paid flood insurance claim since 1979.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based in Sun City grew to 8,118 in 2023, 697 more than in 2013. The share of working residents in Sun City who work locally: 5.1%. Half of commuters travel less than 15 miles. The top destinations are Phoenix (41%), Glendale (7%) and Scottsdale (6%).
| 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% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Trails run 4.4 miles in 2 parks and preserves. Sun City’s density of trails is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| 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.
Sun City: 16% of adults have been diagnosed with depression. Among 140 Arizona towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours 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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