Yuma, AZ, known as 'The Sunniest Place on Earth,' offers a unique blend of desert charm and modern urban amenities. Located in Yuma County, Yuma is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Phoenix (185 miles) and San Diego (174 miles) enhance its status as a central point in the region. Yuma's blend of scenic landscapes, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Yuma is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, the historic Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, and the scenic Gateway Park. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Colorado River State Historic Park to the bustling Yuma Palms Regional Center, known for its shopping and dining. Yuma's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from Southwestern cuisine to international dishes.
Annual events such as the Yuma Lettuce Days and the Yuma County Fair highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Yuma's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like Arizona Western College contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Yuma is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Historic Yuma Theatre and the Yuma Art Center are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Yuma provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Yuma’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Yuma Scorpions (baseball) and the Arizona Coyotes (NHL) in nearby Phoenix, providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Yuma include agriculture, military, and healthcare, with significant employers such as Yuma Regional Medical Center and the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and bike paths, making transportation convenient for residents.
Cost Of Living
Everyday cost of living expenses like goods and services, housing, groceries, transportation, health care and utilities are far below the national average.
Housing
Impressive scores in the housing category characterize this area, potentially attributed to the availability of affordable housing, strong appreciation rates and high home values.
Health & Safety
Accessible health facilities like hospitals, doctors offices, clinics and nursing homes as well as good air quality are all factors that have led to a high score in this category.
Commute
Low commute scores could be due to limited access to public transit in this area, as well as longer-than-average work commute times for residents.
Ratings
Through surveys and polls, AreaVibes obtained feedback from local residents in the area, and the results did not indicate a favorable outlook on factors like local amenities and the safety of the area.
Yuma, Arizona is a moderately-sized city with a population of 99,763 inhabitants. According to the most recent Census, 70% of Yuma residents are White, 3% Black and 2% Asian. Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of Yuma are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 45% of the population also speak Spanish. Yuma tends to attract a younger crowd, as the median age of 32 is far below the national average. If you prefer shorter commutes, living in Yuma will be a delight. With an average one-way commute time of just 17 minutes, traveling to and from work is notably more convenient than the national average, which stands at 26 minutes.
Whether you’re relocating to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Yuma could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Arizona if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Finding the best places to live in Yuma and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes commute, education, housing and other important metrics.
The livability score in Yuma is 70 out of 100 and the city is ranked in the 76th percentile of all cities across America. There are nine total categories that form the livability score. Yuma ranks well for cost of living (A+) and housing (A+) There are some categories that Yuma ranks poorly for, including: crime (D-) and employment (D). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.
A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Yuma has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.
Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Yuma. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Yuma are affordable. Median real estate prices in Yuma come in at $274,082, which is 12% lower than the Arizona average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Yuma, the home price to income ratio is 3.5, which is 14.6% lower than the Arizona average.
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Statistic | Yuma | Arizona | National |
| Average one way commute | 17min | 25min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 78.2% | 76.7% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 12.8% | 10.9% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.7% | 2.0% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.0% | 5.7% | 4.6% |
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