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City · 22,017 residents · Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Rio Rico , Arizona

In Rio Rico, a typical home is worth $224,100 and typical rent is $1,091 a month. Compared with all of Santa Cruz County, typical rent is 32% higher, typical household income is 11% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 16 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $224,100

    4% below the county

    43% below Arizona

    • Rio Rico
    • Santa Cruz
    • Arizona

  • Typical rent

    $1,091a month

    32% above the county

    29% below Arizona

    • Rio Rico
    • Santa Cruz
    • Arizona

  • Typical household income

    $61,348a year

    11% above the county

    23% below Arizona

    • Rio Rico
    • Santa Cruz
    • Arizona

  • Households that own their home

    85%

    16 points above the county

    18 points above Arizona

    • Rio Rico
    • Santa Cruz
    • Arizona

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$265,691
about the same as 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Rio Rico is in Santa Cruz County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Santa Cruz County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Rio Rico apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Nogales, the typical rent is $737: 32% less than in Rio Rico ($1,091).

  2. 85% of households in Rio Rico own their home, against 69% in Santa Cruz County.

  3. The typical rent in Rio Rico is $1,091 a month, 32% more than in Santa Cruz County as a whole ($829).

  4. Nearby, in Nogales, the typical home value is $186,300: 17% less than in Rio Rico ($224,100).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Rio Rico

What homes there are in Rio Rico, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Rio Rico, 9 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Santa Cruz County, 7.

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 2000 or later; in Santa Cruz County, from 1991 or later.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,248 a month

Santa Cruz County: $1,282 a month

Without a mortgage

$399 a month

Santa Cruz County: $402 a month

Owners with a mortgage

76%

Santa Cruz County: 63%

In Rio Rico, 76% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,248 a month, about the same as in Santa Cruz County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in Rio Rico rose 53% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Santa Cruz County (54%).

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Rio Rico did not change clearly, according to the Census.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureRio RicoSanta Cruz CountyArizonaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate9.0%5.8%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.0%0.9%
More than one person per room 5.4%6.0%4.3%3.4%
People per household 3.062.882.532.53
Drive alone 84%76%67%69%
Carpool 9%12%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2%3%
Work from home 7%9%18%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Santa Cruz County, 5.4% of households in Rio Rico have more than one person per room.

More people live in each home here: 3.06 on average, against 2.88 in Santa Cruz County.

To get to work, 84% of workers in Rio Rico drive alone; in Santa Cruz County, 76%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Rio Rico?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Rio Rico, worth $224,100, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 35% of the typical household income in Rio Rico, which is $61,348 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $77,256 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Santa Cruz County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Rio Rico. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,844 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,803

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$220,040
Total interest
$316,587
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,784 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,431 a month

  • Tight

    $1,431 to $1,840 a month

    Your payment · 35%

  • Hard

    more than $1,840 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Rio Rico ($61,348 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,803
Principal & interest$1,491
Property tax$120
Home insurance$93
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$99

You need at least $7,844 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Rio Rico and Santa Cruz County

Rio Rico is in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Rio Rico's own numbers

Typical home value
$224,100
Typical monthly rent
$1,091
Typical yearly household income
$61,348
Households that own their home
85%
Effective property tax rate
0.64%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Santa Cruz County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,041
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+52%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
13%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Santa Cruz County.

Everything about Santa Cruz County

Buying

Buying a home in Rio Rico

A typical home in Rio Rico is worth $224,100: 4% below the county and 43% below Arizona. With the typical household income in Rio Rico ($61,348 a year), a typical home costs 3.7 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Rio Rico 3.7 years
  • Santa Cruz 4.2 years
  • Arizona 4.9 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Santa Cruz County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Santa Cruz County rose 100% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Santa Cruz County.

Period County Arizona U.S.
Last year (2025) −0.7% +0.9% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +52% +55% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +100% +119% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Rio Rico next to Santa Cruz County, Arizona and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Rio Rico $224,100
  • Santa Cruz $233,000
  • Arizona $394,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Rio Rico $1,091
  • Santa Cruz $829
  • Arizona $1,543
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Rio Rico $61,348
  • Santa Cruz $55,217
  • Arizona $79,964
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Rio Rico next to Santa Cruz County and Arizona
Measure Rio Rico Santa Cruz County Arizona U.S.
Typical home value $224,100 $233,000 $394,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,091 $829 $1,543 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $61,348 $55,217 $79,964 $80,734
Households that own their home 85% 69% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,424 $1,415 $1,879 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.64% 0.61% 0.48% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 62% 50% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Santa Cruz County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Rio Rico

For a typical $224,100 home in Rio Rico, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Rio Rico's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,803a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,844
    Cash to close
    $14,567
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $99

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,762a month

    Down payment
    $11,205
    Cash to close
    $17,928
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $106

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,427a month

    Down payment
    $44,820
    Cash to close
    $51,543
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,635a month

    Down payment
    $33,615
    Cash to close
    $40,338
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Rio Rico and for Santa Cruz County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Rio Rico

0.64%of the home’s value each year

$1,424 a year for the typical owner in Rio Rico.

  • Rio Rico 0.64%
  • Santa Cruz 0.61%
  • Arizona 0.48%

What Arizona publishes Senior Property Valuation Protection (valuation freeze) (Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR))

Exemptions and deadlines in Arizona

Flood risk in Santa Cruz County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Santa Cruz County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
13%
2,094
Of those, with NFIP insurance
12%
County Arizona U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 13% 2.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 12% 21% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Rio Rico

Typical rent in Rio Rico is $1,091 a month: 32% above the county. In Rio Rico, 62% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Santa Cruz County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,041 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.02 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Santa Cruz County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $725 $13.94 $29,000
1 bedroom $796 $15.31 $31,840
2 bedrooms $1,041 $20.02 $41,640
3 bedrooms $1,441 $27.71 $57,640
4 bedrooms $1,485 $28.56 $59,400

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Rio Rico

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Rio Rico is in ZIP code 85648.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,260: $219 more than the fair market rent for Santa Cruz County ($1,041).

  • 85648 $1,260$1,760

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Rio Rico when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Rio Rico

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in Rio Rico.

  • El Destino 1271 W Frontage Rd, Rio Rico 85648 61 homes, 51 low-income · 2 bd: 28 · 3 bd: 27 · 4 bd: 6 · In service since 2006

See all 12 buildings in Santa Cruz County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Rio Rico

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Santa Cruz County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

An older man and his daughter go over papers with a professional.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Rio Rico

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Rio Rico or Santa Cruz County. The ones below are statewide in Arizona: they work in Rio Rico the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Arizona

  • Home Plus

    Statewide in Arizona

    Open, per the source

    Arizona IDA down payment assistance across Arizona: a second loan with no interest and no payments, forgiven after five years. Offered by Arizona Industrial Development Authority (Arizona IDA).

    ForgivableDeferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Rio Rico

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Rio Rico, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • The Primavera Foundation, Inc.

    151 W 40th St, Tucson · 48 miles away · Spanish

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • Homebuyer education workshops
    (520) 882-5383

  • Pima County Community Land Trust (PCCLT)

    17 N Linda Ave, Tucson · 50 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 6 more
    (520) 603-0587

  • Chicanos Por La Causa-Tucson

    1525 N Oracle Road, Tucson · 51 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (520) 882-0018

All counseling agencies in Arizona

Help in Spanish near Rio Rico

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Rio Rico

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Santa Cruz County is named for Rio Rico or Santa Cruz County.

One other authority has an office in Santa Cruz County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Santa Cruz County

These cities are also in Santa Cruz County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Santa Cruz County Housing in Arizona

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Rio Rico, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Santa Cruz County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Rio Rico.

All guides
A father and mother walk their son by the hand down the sidewalk.

Questions

Housing questions about Rio Rico

Short answers with the numbers for Rio Rico and all of Santa Cruz County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Rio Rico?

The typical home value in Rio Rico is $224,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Santa Cruz County it is $233,000.

How much does it cost to rent in Rio Rico?

Typical rent in Rio Rico is $1,091 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Santa Cruz County is $1,041.

What is the FHA loan limit in Rio Rico?

Rio Rico uses the FHA limit for all of Santa Cruz County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Rio Rico?

The typical homeowner in Rio Rico pays $1,424 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.64% of the home’s value; in Santa Cruz County, the rate is 0.61%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Rio Rico?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Santa Cruz County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).