Is Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ a Good Place to Live?
Pinetop-Lakeside is a small town of 4,080 in Arizona, with a median household income of $57,125 and a 4.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Pinetop-Lakeside stands out for an affordable cost of living, solid school ratings (B-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index. Whether Pinetop-Lakeside is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Pinetop-Lakeside 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: 95.9Pinetop-Lakeside's overall cost of living index is 95.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Pinetop-Lakeside costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $280,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,078 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,125 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimePinetop-Lakeside's violent crime rate is 1201.1 per 100,000 residents — 216% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Pinetop-Lakeside is served primarily by Blue Ridge Unified School District No. 32 (4397). The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Blue Ridge Unified School District No. 32 (4397) | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 36.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Pinetop-Lakeside 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 | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 45.3°F |
| Average High — July | 82.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 24.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 70.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,080 | — |
| Median Age | 51.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 33.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Pinetop-Lakeside
Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ is covered by 1 ZIP code: