Median Income
$90,824
household / year
Median Home Value
$725,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,488
gross / month
Cost of Living
103
national avg = 100

Is Cave Creek, AZ a Good Place to Live?

Cave Creek is a small town of 4,966 in Arizona, with a median household income of $90,824 and a 4.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 103 (US average = 100), which is 3% above the national average.

Strengths: Cave Creek stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Cave Creek is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Cave Creek city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 103.1

Cave Creek's overall cost of living index is 103.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cave Creek costs roughly 3% more than the average American city.

Metric Cave Creek, AZ National Avg
Median Home Value $725,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,488 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 91.8% 65.9%
Median Household Income $90,824 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Cave Creek's violent crime rate is 464.6 per 100,000 residents — 22% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
464.6 /100k
Property Crime
1799.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Cave Creek is served primarily by Cave Creek Unified District (4244). The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.8:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Cave Creek, AZ National Avg
School District Cave Creek Unified District (4244) —
Elementary Schools 5 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 1 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 17.8:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 50.9% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 97.4% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Cave Creek sees average highs of 64.6°F in January and 103.4°F in July, with 12.6 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricCave Creek, AZ
Average High — January64.6°F
Average High — July103.4°F
Annual Precipitation12.6"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricCave Creek, AZNational Avg
Population4,966—
Median Age58.138.9
Unemployment Rate4.5%3.7%
Avg Commute Time30.7 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)89.3%59.3%
Black or African American2.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.8%18.9%
Asian1.2%6.3%
Under 1814.4%22.2%
65 and over39.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Carefree, AZ 4 mi New River, AZ 7 mi Anthem, AZ 8 mi Scottsdale, AZ 13 mi Black Canyon City, AZ 18 mi

ZIP Codes in Cave Creek

Cave Creek, AZ is covered by 1 ZIP code:

85331

Cave Creek vs Other Cities

Cave Creek, AZ vs Carefree, AZ Cave Creek, AZ vs New River, AZ Cave Creek, AZ vs Anthem, AZ Cave Creek, AZ vs Scottsdale, AZ Cave Creek, AZ vs Black Canyon City, AZ

Frequently Asked Questions

Cave Creek's cost of living index is 103, where 100 is the national average. That puts Cave Creek roughly 3% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $725,300 and median rent is $1,488/month.
Cave Creek's violent crime rate is 464.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1799.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Cave Creek are operated by Cave Creek Unified District (4244). The district has 5 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.8:1. 50.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cave Creek, AZ has a population of 4,966, a median household income of $90,824, and an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Cave Creek averages 64.6°F in January and 103.4°F in July. Annual rainfall is 12.6 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Cave Creek, AZ is covered by 1 ZIP code: 85331.
The population of Cave Creek, Arizona is 4,966 with a median age of 58.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Cave Creek: cost of living index 103 (100 = US average), median home $725,300, median household income $90,824, crime index 108 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Cave Creek side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.