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
Tucson
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 34%
vs22 · Bottom 2%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs44 · Bottom 40%
Climate
64 · Bottom 33%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 16%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 33%
vs67 · Bottom 30%
Access
88 · Bottom 38%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
67 · Top 36%
vs44 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Marana | Tucson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,938 | 547,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,606 | $57,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,005 | $32,537 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 468/sq mi | 2,259/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $413,800 | $266,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,818 | $1,145 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 51.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -4.8% | -4.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 31.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 989 | 1,431 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.4 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -1.2% | -2.8% | 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 | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.9 min | 23.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 202 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.92 | 15.63 | 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.
Tucson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Marana, AZ · Tucson, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology