Is Prescott, AZ a Good Place to Live?
Prescott is a small city of 46,054 in Arizona, with a median household income of $66,330 and a 5.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: Prescott stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Prescott is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Prescott 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: 98.5Prescott's overall cost of living index is 98.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Prescott costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Prescott, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $473,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,085 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $66,330 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AveragePrescott's violent crime rate is 335.1 per 100,000 residents — 12% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Prescott is served primarily by Mountain Institute CTED #2 (90090). The student-to-teacher ratio is 25.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Prescott, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mountain Institute CTED #2 (90090) | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 12 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 25.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Prescott sees average highs of 52.6°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 16.5 inches of annual precipitation and 10.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Prescott, AZ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 52.6°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 10.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Prescott, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,054 | — |
| Median Age | 60.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 11.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 40.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Prescott
Prescott, AZ is covered by 3 ZIP codes: