RANK #356 / 1001 NAT · #5 / 11 AZ · POP 53,795
1YR FORECAST: +0.4%
5YR OUTLOOK: +19%
Gila County, Arizona, is distinguished by its diverse landscapes, ranging from saguaro-dotted deserts to pine forests beneath the Mogollon Rim. Located in central Arizona, about 90 minutes from Phoenix, the county offers a blend of remote natural beauty and accessible communities. Payson, the largest town, serves as a hub in the northern part of the county. Residents and visitors enjoy extensive outdoor recreation, including hiking, fishing, camping, and boating at Roosevelt Lake and Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The Tonto National Forest, encompassing nearly 3 million acres, provides year-round opportunities for exploring canyons, wilderness areas, and diverse wildlife.
Life in Gila County often appeals to those seeking a connection to nature and a sense of community, with many residents owning their homes. While some families have deep roots, the county's population continues to see steady growth. The economy, historically reliant on mining and ranching, has diversified to include education, healthcare, tourism, retail, and construction. Public transportation options like the Beeline Bus in Payson and Copper Mountain Transit in the Globe-Miami area provide local commute alternatives.
Gila County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices -0.5% YoY, population +0.3%, wages +5.2%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Prices detached from rents
Housing looks overvalued at 15.8x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. Climate and geography support a structural premium. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Gila County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 64/100, Gila County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. and median household income stands at $61,986 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in AZ.
Gila County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $269,400 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.23 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,030/month on average.
Gila County's job market is contracting (-4.0% YoY) while population is roughly stable (+0.3% change). Home values are -0.5% over the past 12 months. Hiring headwinds without an offsetting exodus — residents are staying, but local employers are shedding payroll.
In significant numbers — 6.09% of Gila County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.