What it's like to live in Coolidge
Coolidge is a small city in Arizona with home prices that remain within reach, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Coolidge deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Extreme summer heat
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Coolidge compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Coolidge
Based on Coolidge's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,628
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,560 a year
- 39% of Coolidge renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,540
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,314/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,314 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $255,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $255,400 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pinal County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pinal County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 14% above US
374 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 993/100k · Coolidge Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 106°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 61% below US
14% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (4 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Coolidge's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,314/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Coolidge
All Arizona guides →Moving to Casa Grande →
14 mi away · pop. 60,905
Rent $1,386/mo · Income $69,983
Compare with Coolidge →Moving to San Tan Valley →
18 mi away · pop. 109,189
Rent $2,085/mo · Income $96,713
Compare with Coolidge →Not sure Coolidge is the one?
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