Is Lake of the Woods, AZ a Good Place to Live?
Lake of the Woods is a small town of 3,426 in Arizona, with a median household income of $52,480 and a 13.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake of the Woods stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Lake of the Woods is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake of the Woods 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: 92.4Lake of the Woods's overall cost of living index is 92.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake of the Woods costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $207,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $838 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $52,480 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLake of the Woods's violent crime rate is 264.1 per 100,000 residents — 30% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 17.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 85.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake of the Woods sees average highs of 45.3°F in January and 82.2°F in July, with 24.1 inches of annual precipitation and 70.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, AZ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 45.3°F |
| Average High — July | 82.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 24.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 70.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake of the Woods, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,426 | — |
| Median Age | 54.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 13.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 81.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 25.9% | 16.8% |