What it's like to live in Peoria
Peoria is a mid-size city in Arizona with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Peoria deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Peoria compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Peoria
Based on Peoria's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,686
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,720 a year
- 56% of Peoria renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$92,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $46,360
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 30% above US
$1,843/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,843 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $463,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $463,600 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 23% below US
253 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 1091/100k · Peoria Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 23% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 103°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
50 public schools inside the boundary
There are 50 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Montezuma Castle National Monument (64 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Peoria's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,843/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (23% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Peoria
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