Neighborhoods by budget · Tucson area
Where to live near Tucson on your budget
21 Tucson-area places, from Tucson Estates to the Catalina Foothills, compared by what homes are worth and what they cost to own.
Two ways to start
- Search homes by payment
Create your free account to see all homes for sale that fit the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its actual property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own estimated closing costs and APR disclosure.
Opens the MABLS home search. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote. Your actual payment depends on price, down payment, credit, taxes, insurance, HOA, and loan program.
- Get pre-qualified (Apply now) (opens in a new tab)
Get pre-qualified with Pam Messina at Rebel Rate Mortgage. Once you're pre-qualified, Pam can update the maximum monthly payment and total funds to close in your home search, so the homes you see match what you qualify for. If you'd like, she can also give you a free, no-obligation introduction to a real estate professional so you can start touring homes.
Opens Rebel Rate Mortgage's secure online application (my1003app.com) in a new tab. Pre-qualification isn't a loan approval or a commitment to lend; approval depends on underwriting, verification of your information, and the property.
Applications are handled by Pam Messina, NMLS #245626, Rebel Rate Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS #2571369).
What does it cost to own a home around Tucson?
Quick answer: Tucson's Census median home value is $266,200 with median taxes of $1,786 a year. Around it, medians run from $205,400 in Tucson Estates to $652,000 in the Catalina Foothills, where owners pay a median $4,341 in taxes. Pima County's own FY2026/27 primary rate is 4.2733 per $100 of assessed value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year; Pima County, FY2026/27 Property Tax Levies and Rates. Last updated .
Tucson-area places compared
Most of the area around Tucson is unincorporated. The Census Bureau tracks those communities as census-designated places (CDPs), which is why names like Casas Adobes and Catalina Foothills appear next to incorporated towns like Oro Valley, Marana, and Sahuarita.
| Place | Median home value | Median taxes paid (yr) | Taxes ÷ value | Median owner costs with a mortgage (mo) | Mean commute (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowing Wells | $41,100 | $677 | 1.65% | $1,198 | 21.8 |
| Avra Valley | $158,400 | $998 | 0.63% | $1,117 | 33.6 |
| Three Points | $187,700 | $925 | 0.49% | $1,358 | 37.6 |
| Tucson Estates | $205,400 | $1,324 | 0.64% | $1,352 | 31.4 |
| Picture Rocks | $230,300 | $1,342 | 0.58% | $1,363 | 34.8 |
| Drexel Heights | $250,100 | $1,723 | 0.69% | $1,457 | 26.8 |
| Tucson | $266,200 | $1,786 | 0.67% | $1,482 | 21.9 |
| Catalina | $276,200 | $1,828 | 0.66% | $1,666 | 32.2 |
| Green Valley | $293,500 | $1,831 | 0.62% | $1,269 | 24.9 |
| Valencia West | $323,000 | $2,235 | 0.69% | $1,755 | 37.0 |
| Casas Adobes | $343,400 | $2,595 | 0.76% | $1,697 | 25.6 |
| Sahuarita | $364,300 | $2,679 | 0.74% | $1,762 | 28.6 |
| Corona de Tucson | $382,700 | $3,237 | 0.85% | $2,056 | 37.0 |
| Marana | $413,800 | $3,428 | 0.83% | $1,981 | 27.7 |
| Vail | $414,600 | $2,943 | 0.71% | $1,979 | 29.7 |
| Tucson Mountains | $473,200 | $4,565 | 0.96% | $2,125 | 26.9 |
| Oro Valley | $475,700 | $3,686 | 0.77% | $2,201 | 26.7 |
| Saddlebrooke | $498,700 | $3,165 | 0.63% | $1,840 | 33.2 |
| Rincon Valley | $547,300 | $4,397 | 0.80% | $2,305 | 31.0 |
| Tanque Verde | $607,900 | $3,788 | 0.62% | $2,377 | 28.5 |
| Catalina Foothills | $652,000 | $4,341 | 0.67% | $2,588 | 22.0 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year (B25077, B25103, B25088, B08013/B08303), Pima County places with 5,000+ residents. Medians cover all owner-occupied homes, including manufactured homes, which pulls some medians down. "Taxes ÷ value" divides two medians and is only a rough comparison.
Why Tucson-area tax bills differ so much
- The county rate is high. Pima County's own primary rate for FY2026/27 is 4.2733 per $100 of assessed value, compared with Maricopa County's 1.1463 for 2026. Pima also had the highest average total rate of any Arizona county in FY2025-26 (13.63 per $100, across all property).
- School districts. For FY2026/27, Tucson Unified's secondary levy rose 133.5% and its secondary rate went from 0.7807 to 1.7501 per $100 (up 124.2%). Primary rates for other districts include Catalina Foothills 3.0531, Amphitheater 3.1544, Marana 3.1681, Vail 3.2216, and Sahuarita 3.2911 (before homeowner state aid).
- City vs. unincorporated. The City of Tucson's rates are 0.4043 primary and 0.5458 secondary. Unincorporated areas have no city rate, but many pay a fire district instead, such as Golder Ranch (2.67 plus 0.09 bond), Northwest (3.0082 plus 0.196), Drexel Heights (3.60 plus 0.25), Rincon Valley (2.80 plus 0.3013), Corona de Tucson (3.30), Picture Rocks (3.75 plus 0.4232), and Avra Valley (3.75 plus 0.5257 bond).
- Special districts. Some master-planned areas add a community facilities district; the Rancho Sahuarita CFD rate is 4.99 per $100 for FY2026/27.
Each 1.00 of rate costs about $100 a year per $100,000 of limited property value. Full Arizona comparison: property tax by city.
Reading the table by budget
Tucson itself ($266,200) sits in the lower half of the table, with one of the shortest commutes (21.9 minutes). Casas Adobes, Sahuarita, Marana, and Vail fall between $343,400 and $414,600, and Oro Valley, Tanque Verde, and the Catalina Foothills sit at the top. Taxes as a share of value are higher in many unincorporated areas because fire district and school rates stack on the county rate.
Three steps from browsing to touring
- See the costs here, no signup. Every guide on this site is open, with no forms. Read the taxes, fees, and rules first.
- Search by payment, privately, on MABLS. Pick the monthly payment you're comfortable with. Each home shows its own property taxes, HOA dues, and insurance, so two homes at the same price can show different payments. It's a free account, and we never sell your information.Search Tucson-area homes by payment
Opens the MABLS home search. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote.
- Make it exact with Pam. Get pre-qualified with Pam Messina. Once you're pre-qualified, Pam can update the maximum monthly payment and total funds to close in your MABLS search, so results match what you actually qualify for. If you'd like, she can also give you a free, no-obligation introduction to a real estate professional so you can start touring homes.Get pre-qualified with Pam (opens in a new tab)
Applications are handled by Pam Messina, NMLS #245626, Rebel Rate Mortgage, Inc. (NMLS #2571369).
Opens Rebel Rate Mortgage's secure online application (my1003app.com) in a new tab. Pre-qualification isn't a loan approval or a commitment to lend; approval depends on underwriting, verification of your information, and the property.
We never sell your information · Only Rebel Rate Mortgage contacts you about a loan · We connect you with an agent only if you ask · Privacy policy
Related: Tucson overview · Oro Valley · Marana · Sahuarita · Most affordable places in Arizona · All neighborhood guides
Data as of October 4, 2026. Figures are cited to the public sources listed below. General information for Arizona home shoppers, not a loan offer, rate quote, or commitment to lend.
What clients say about Rebel Rate Mortgage
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See homes by the payment you want
Search with each home's own property taxes, HOA dues, and insurance built into the estimate. We never sell your information.
Create your free account to see all homes for sale that fit the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its actual property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own estimated closing costs and APR disclosure.
Opens the MABLS home search. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote. Your actual payment depends on price, down payment, credit, taxes, insurance, HOA, and loan program.
Prefer to talk it through? Pam Messina, NMLS #245626
Call office 602-740-9664Call Pam 602-460-4879Text PamEmail Pam
More neighborhoods guides · Private home search · Property tax by city · HOA and CFD lookup
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: B25077 (median home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes paid), B25088 (median owner costs with a mortgage), B08013/B08303 (mean travel time to work), B25003 (owner-occupied share), B01003 (population) (retrieved October 4, 2026)
- Pima County, FY2026/27 Property Tax Levies and Rates (retrieved October 4, 2026)
- Pima County, Property Tax Levies & Rates (retrieved October 4, 2026)
- Pinal County, FY2026-27 budget presentation (countywide average tax rates by county, citing the 2026 ADOR Final Abstract) (retrieved October 4, 2026)
- Maricopa County, 2026 Tax Rates (rates per $100 of assessed value by tax area, school, city, fire, and special districts) (tax year 2026; retrieved October 4, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What are the most affordable areas near Tucson?
Among Pima County places with 5,000+ residents, Flowing Wells, Avra Valley, Three Points, and Tucson Estates have the lowest median home value by Census figures. Tucson's own median is $266,200.
Is Catalina Foothills part of Tucson?
No. The Catalina Foothills is an unincorporated census-designated place in Pima County, outside the City of Tucson, so it has no city tax rate.
What is the property tax rate in Tucson?
It depends on the tax area. The City of Tucson's FY2026/27 rates are 0.4043 primary and 0.5458 secondary per $100, on top of Pima County (4.2733 primary), the school district, and other districts.
Why did TUSD property taxes go up?
Pima County's FY2026/27 table shows Tucson Unified's secondary levy up 133.5%, with the secondary rate rising from 0.7807 to 1.7501 per $100 of assessed value.
How long is the commute in Tucson?
The Census Bureau's mean travel time to work is 21.9 minutes in Tucson, 27.7 in Marana, and 29.7 in Vail (ACS 2020–2024).