City comparison
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 150 miles (250 km) from Tempe, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Sierra Vista, AZ to Tempe, AZ takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Tempe has a population of 181,005, vs 45,212 in Sierra Vista — about 4.0× larger by population. By land area, Sierra Vista covers about 150 sq mi vs 40 sq mi for Tempe.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Sierra Vista | Tempe | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,080/mo | $1,472/mo | 36.3% higher in Tempe |
| Median home value | $215,900 | $382,100 | 77.0% higher in Tempe |
| Median household income | $70,899 | $72,022 | 1.6% higher in Tempe |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 95.8 | 1.1% higher in Sierra Vista |
| Utilities index | 94.9 | 96.2 | 1.3% higher in Tempe |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 104.1 | 3.8% higher in Tempe |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 104.0 | 3.8% higher in Tempe |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Sierra Vista, you'd need $129,992 in Tempe to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 23.1% cheaper overall than Tempe, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 89% higher in Tempe than in Sierra Vista. If you earn $80,000 in Sierra Vista, you'd need about $103,993 in Tempe to keep the same standard of living.