What it's like to live in Kingman
Kingman is a small city in Arizona with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kingman deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and very hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Very hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Kingman compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kingman
Based on Kingman's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,116
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,320 a year
- 45% of Kingman renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,770
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 25% below US
$1,058/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,058 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $267,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $267,700 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 28% below US
236 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 3383/100k · Kingman Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 32% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.7 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 97°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 31°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 44% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 20%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lake Mead National Recreation Area (55 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Kingman's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,058/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Kingman
All Arizona guides →Moving to New Kingman-Butler →
3 mi away · pop. 13,993
Rent $1,018/mo · Income $40,949
Compare with Kingman →Moving to Bullhead City →
31 mi away · pop. 42,496
Rent $1,079/mo · Income $50,556
Compare with Kingman →Moving to Fort Mohave →
36 mi away · pop. 15,715
Rent $1,010/mo · Income $64,815
Compare with Kingman →Moving to Lake Havasu City →
52 mi away · pop. 58,359
Rent $1,320/mo · Income $70,148
Compare with Kingman →Not sure Kingman is the one?
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