Arizona assessors keep two values for every property. The full cash value tracks the market. The limited property value is the one taxes are actually charged on, and since voters approved Proposition 117 it can rise each year by only a small fixed share, no matter how fast prices climb. In a hot market the gap between the two widens, and that gap is what keeps long-held homes’ bills steady.
How the home is classified matters as much as its value. An owner-occupied primary residence is taxed in a lower class than a rental or a second home, and the state pays part of the school levy on owner-occupied homes through the homeowner rebate. When you buy, the affidavit of property value filed with the deed asks whether you will live there. Answer it correctly, and check the classification on your first notice, because a home recorded as a rental pays considerably more.
The constitution also caps the combined primary levy on an owner-occupied home at a small share of its limited property value, while voter-approved bonds and budget overrides are billed on top. Bills are paid in two halves, one in the autumn and one in the spring, and most lenders collect both through escrow.
Older homeowners with modest incomes can apply for the senior valuation protection option, which freezes the taxable value for as long as they keep qualifying. Buyers in master-planned communities should also read the HOA budget and any special district assessments, which can add as much to the monthly cost as the county bill.
Property tax in Arizona
The median Arizona homeowner pays $1,879 a year in property tax on a home valued at $394,500, an effective rate of 0.4763% in the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year 2020-2024). That ranks the fourth lowest of the 50 states and DC, at or below the middle state's 0.8003%. At that rate each $100,000 of home value carries about $476 a year of tax, or $39.69 a month in the payment, and that rate is what the calculator above starts from.
Inside Arizona the rate more than doubles from the cheapest county to the dearest. Among counties whose survey figures pass both quality checks, the effective rate runs from 0.4116% in Yavapai County to 0.898% in Apache County. On a $394,500 home that gap is worth about $1,919 a year. Pick a county in the calculator to use its rate, or type the rate from a listing or a current tax bill.
The survey rate is what owners actually pay divided by what they say their homes are worth, with exemptions, caps and local levies folded in; it will not match any rate printed in Arizona law. Ask for the seller's latest bill and the assessed value too, since a new owner's assessment can differ from the long-held homes behind the median.
Arizona property tax rates by county
All 15 counties, sorted from the highest effective rate to the lowest. The rate is the median tax paid divided by the median home value, from the ACS 5-year 2020-2024 survey (figures to December 31, 2024). Of these, two carry a flag: where the survey's margin of error is wide or home values hit the survey's top code, the calculator uses the Arizona median instead of that county's figure.
| County | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax a year | Survey | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache County | 0.898% | $63,700 | $572 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Pima County | 0.7107% | $319,700 | $2,272 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| La Paz County | 0.6429% | $135,800 | $873 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
| Yuma County | 0.612% | $217,800 | $1,333 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Santa Cruz County | 0.6073% | $233,000 | $1,415 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Cochise County | 0.6001% | $218,300 | $1,310 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Navajo County | 0.5931% | $201,500 | $1,195 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Gila County | 0.5145% | $269,400 | $1,386 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Graham County | 0.4778% | $212,000 | $1,013 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Pinal County | 0.4688% | $349,000 | $1,636 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Coconino County | 0.4578% | $448,000 | $2,051 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Mohave County | 0.4406% | $281,000 | $1,238 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Maricopa County | 0.4379% | $452,800 | $1,983 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Yavapai County | 0.4116% | $425,200 | $1,750 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | None |
| Greenlee County | 0.3266% | $158,600 | $518 | ACS 5-year 2020-2024 | Wide margin of error |
Worked example: the median Arizona home
The median owner-occupied home in Arizona is valued at $394,500 (ACS 5-year 2020-2024). Put $78,900 down, enough to keep the loan at 80% of the price so no PMI is charged, and borrow the rest over 30 years at 7.4%, the Freddie Mac average for the week of October 15, 2026. Insurance is the calculator's default of $1,500 a year, the same figure on every state page and 5.1% of this payment; real premiums vary widely from state to state and with a home's exposure to wind, flood and wildfire, so replace it with a premium for the Arizona home you are pricing.
| Line | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $2,185.15 | $26,221.80 |
| Property tax | $156.58 | $1,878.96 |
| Homeowners insurance | $125.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Private mortgage insurance | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total payment | $2,466.73 | $29,600.76 |
Principal and interest dominate the bill; tax and insurance, usually collected through escrow, add $281.58 a month, 11.4% of the total. Over the full term the $315,600 loan costs $471,055 in interest.
With $39,450 down instead, the loan grows to $355,050 and PMI of $147.94 a month is added, for a first payment of $2,887.81. On the regular schedule the PMI stops after 10 years, with the payment in October 2036. A 15-year loan at the 6.71% average, with the larger down payment, raises the monthly figure to $3,067.36 but cuts the interest to $185,840.
What the median Arizona wage can buy
The median annual wage in Arizona is $50,060 (BLS wage survey, May 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, that leaves about $3,450 a month after federal and Arizona paycheck deductions. With $60,000 saved for a down payment and $400 a month of other debts, the home affordability calculator's default 28/36 rule gives this range at 7.4% and the Arizona property tax rate:
| Level | Home price | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | $102,855 | $463 |
| Target | $190,177 | $1,102 |
| Stretch | $230,064 | $1,394 |
Here the limit is total debt: the housing payment plus the other $400 a month reaches 36% of gross pay first. The target falls $204,323 short of the $394,500 median home value: the median home costs 7.9 times the median wage, so a typical Arizona purchase usually needs a second income, a larger down payment or a cheaper area.
Living costs add to the squeeze: everyday prices in Arizona, rent included, run 0.7% above the national average, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price parities for 2024 (figures to December 31, 2024). That shrinks the median wage to about $49,723 in national dollars.
Arizona mortgage questions
What is the mortgage payment on the median home in Arizona?
The median Arizona home is valued at $394,500 in the Census Bureau's ACS 5-year 2020-2024 figures. With $78,900 down and a 30-year loan at the 7.4% weekly average, the payment is $2,466.73 a month: $2,185.15 of principal and interest, $156.58 of property tax and $125.00 of insurance.
What is the property tax rate in Arizona?
Homeowners in Arizona pay a median of $1,879 a year on a median home value of $394,500, an effective rate of 0.4763%. That is the fourth lowest of the 50 states and DC. It is a measure of what owners actually pay, not a rate set in law, and a new purchase can be taxed differently.
Which Arizona county has the highest property tax rate?
Among counties with reliable survey figures, Apache County has the highest effective rate at 0.898% and Yavapai County the lowest at 0.4116%. On the $394,500 median home, that gap is about $1,919 a year.
How much house can I afford on the median Arizona wage?
On the median wage of $50,060, take-home pay is about $3,450 a month. With $60,000 down and $400 a month of other debts, the 28/36 rule points to a home of about $190,177, against a median home value of $394,500.
Does a smaller down payment change the Arizona payment much?
With $39,450 down on the same home the loan is larger and private mortgage insurance is added, so the payment starts at $2,887.81 a month, $147.94 of it PMI. The PMI stops once the scheduled balance reaches 78% of the original value.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS 5-year 2020-2024), tables B25103 and B25077
- Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States [MORTGAGE30US], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, removing PMI
Mortgage rates: Freddie Mac weekly averages as of . Property tax rates: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2020-2024 as of . Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 as of . How we calculate.