What it's like to live in Yuma
Yuma is a mid-size city in Arizona with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Yuma deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High student-teacher ratio
How Yuma compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Yuma
Based on Yuma's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,228
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,560 a year
- 48% of Yuma renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,000
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,114/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,114 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $230,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $230,000 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 144% above US
10.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 10.5%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
353 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 1153/100k · Yuma Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 29% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 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 105°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 42% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
54 public schools inside the boundary
There are 54 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Bottom line
Yuma's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,114/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Yuma
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