Should I Move To
Tucson, Arizona comes in at about 541,033 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 5% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $991/mo, and the median household income is about $52,049. Overall, 39/100 on our composite score, which works out to a F, putting it at #830 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 95 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $991/mo and median household income at $52,049, housing takes about 23% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $218,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect hot-summer weather — summers near 100°F, winters around 42°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 11 inches annually. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Crime runs a touch higher than the typical US city — citywide numbers, of course, mask big neighborhood differences. Air quality reads good (AQI 30).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Tucson is a tougher sell for families. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
Tucson is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
Tucson is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
Tucson is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 25/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on walkability (0/100).
Tucson, Arizona pulls a 39/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade F), currently ranked #830 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Tucson's cost-of-living index is 95 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 5% below the national average. Median rent runs about $991/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 100°F, winter averages around 42°F, with about 11 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 0/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Tucson has about 541,033 residents, 29% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 34.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Tucson head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Tucson stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Tucson with other Arizona cities scored on UrbRank.
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