Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Goodyear, AZ
VS
Tempe, AZ
🏆 It's a dead heat — 11 categories each
Goodyear
Arizona
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$97,307 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
48 ✓ Safer
Population
97,542
Tempe
Arizona
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
99.9 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$72,022
Violent Crime Index
124⚠ High
Population
181,005 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Goodyear, AZ
Pros
61% less violent crime than Tempe
Households earn $25,285 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (182.2 vs 380/100k)
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,711/mo
Longer commutes — 29.7 min average each way
Hot summers — July highs average 107°F
Tempe, AZ
Pros
Commutes run 8 min shorter each way
Rent averages $239/mo less ($1,472 vs $1,711)
More college-educated — 48.9% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Goodyear by $25,285/yr
Violent crime (470.3/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2893.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Hot summers — July highs average 106°F
Key Differences at a Glance
Goodyear
Median Income
$25,285
$97,307 vs $72,022/yr
Goodyear
Violent Crime
61% lower
182.2 vs 470.3 per 100k
Tempe
Cost of Living
1% cheaper
COL index 99.9 vs 101.2 (100 = US avg)
Tempe
Median Home Value
$14k less
$382,100 vs $396,100
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Goodyear, AZ | Tempe, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 101.2⚠ High | 99.9 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $396,100⚠ High | $382,100⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,711⚠ High | $1,472⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $97,307 ✓ Higher | $72,022 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.7 min⚠ High | 21.5 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 16.2% | 16.8% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 57 ✓ Safer | 129⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 48 ✓ Safer | 124⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 70 ✓ Safer | 138⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (88) | A (125) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 19.9:1 | 14.3:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.7% | 48.9% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 92.5% | 93.7% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Incito Schools (91326) | Tempe School District (4258) |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 66.8°F | 70.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 107.4°F ✓ Warmer | 105.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.0" ✓ Drier | 8.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 97,542 | 181,005 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 40.4 ✓ Older | 29.7 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.8% ✓ Higher | 40.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.8% ✓ More | 14.4% |
| Over 65 | 18.0% ✓ More | 10.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Goodyear's cost of living index is 101.2 vs Tempe's 99.9 (US average = 100).
Tempe is 1% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 11 categories each. Goodyear wins 11 and Tempe wins 11. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Goodyear to Tempe or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($396,100 vs $382,100 median home), income ($97,307 vs $72,022), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Goodyear, AZ and Tempe, AZ are about 27 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.