Marana receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Marana
Sahuarita
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 16%
vs20 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 33%
vs88 · Top 37%
Access
88 · Bottom 38%
vs89 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Marana | Sahuarita | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,938 | 35,862 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,606 | $104,680 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,005 | $42,027 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 468/sq mi | 1,132/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $413,800 | $364,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,818 | $1,837 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 81.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 44.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 8.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 989 | 484 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 13.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -1.2% | 31.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 99°F | 100°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.1" | 10.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.9 min | 29.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.92 | 18.86 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Marana
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Sahuarita
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Marana, AZ · Sahuarita, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology