Housing decision brief
Greenlee County, AZ Housing Market
Greenlee County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
3rd lowest home value out of 15 Arizona counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 15
Median home value
$136,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$570/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$385/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
9.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$185/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $37,471 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$136,300 median home value is 37% below Arizona county median
Lower rent
$570/mo is 42% below Arizona county median
Rent burden below pressure line
9.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $185/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 87.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $37,471, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Greenlee County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $136,300 | $216,100 | $281,900 | 37% favorable37% below Arizona county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $570 | $983 | $1,163 | 42% favorable42% below Arizona county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $385 | $851 | $1,672 | 55% favorable55% below Arizona county median |
Median household income | $75,239 | $60,417 | $74,755 | 25% favorable25% above Arizona county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.36% | 0.54% | 1.02% | 34% favorable34% below Arizona county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 9.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 68% favorable9.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$52,439
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$58,739
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Greenlee County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $570/month representing approximately 9.1% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 9.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Greenlee County pay $570/month on average, compared to $385/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 32%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $22,800/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $16,500/year. With a median household income of $75,239, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 9.0% of renter households in Greenlee County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Arizona, Greenlee County is less affordable than Apache County by roughly 12% ($570/mo vs $647/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerauld County, SD | $127,000 | $565/mo | Out-of-state peer near $127,000 home value and $565/mo rent. |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | $137,200 | $576/mo | Out-of-state peer near $137,200 home value and $576/mo rent. |
| Crockett County, TX | $140,000 | $585/mo | Out-of-state peer near $140,000 home value and $585/mo rent. |
| Frontier County, NE | $138,800 | $605/mo | Out-of-state peer near $138,800 home value and $605/mo rent. |
| Major County, OK | $134,700 | $619/mo | Out-of-state peer near $134,700 home value and $619/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $37,471 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Greenlee County
Is Greenlee County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Greenlee County?
How much income do you need for housing in Greenlee County?
What should I double-check before moving to Greenlee County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.