The Town FilesFountain Hills, Arizona
Town in Maricopa County · population 23,820 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $622,900
- Household income
- $112,654
- Jan low / Jul high
- 45° / 103°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 61.5
Fountain Hills is a town of 23,820 people in Maricopa County, Arizona. The median home is worth $622,900, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). It ranks more upscale than 94% of Arizona towns, more vibrant than 87% of Arizona towns, better for a vacation home than 84% of Arizona towns.
How Fountain Hills ranks
Percentile among Arizona towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arizona towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Fountain Hills is worth $622,900, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). Homes cost about 5.5 times the median household income of $112,654, which is more affordable than 17% of Arizona towns. Median rent is $1,890 a month. 84.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fountain Hills | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $622,900 | $248,600 |
| Median rent | $1,890 | $1,050 |
| Median household income | $112,654 | $60,835 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.5× | 4.0× |
| Homeownership | 84.4% | 78.6% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1990 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 11.9% | — |
Who lives in Fountain Hills
| People | Fountain Hills | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.5 | 42.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 40.7% | 21.8% |
| Under 18 | 12.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.4% | 18.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 13.8% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.1% | — |
| Work from home | 30.5% | 10.2% |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.1% | 88.0% |
Weather in Fountain Hills
July highs average 103.0°F and January lows 44.5°F. About 10.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Arizona town: 0.2 in). Expect about 167 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 4 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fountain Hills since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Arizona town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on January 17, 1993 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 28, 2003.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on October 5, 2010.
Severe weather in Maricopa County since 1996
Maricopa County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Fire | FM-5501: Boulder View Fire |
| June 12, 2024 | Fire | FM-5496: Rose Fire |
| June 28, 2023 | Fire | FM-5466: Diamond Fire |
| June 27, 2020 | Fire | FM-5315: Avondale Fire |
| June 23, 2020 | Fire | FM-5314: Aquila Fire |
Jobs and pay in Maricopa County
Maricopa County had 2,280,645 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,840 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Fountain Hills itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.
Public schools in Fountain Hills
6 public schools with 1,099 students, about 15.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell Mountain Elementary School | PK-5 | 418 | 14.4 |
| Fountain Hills High School | 9-12 | 404 | 20.2 |
| Fountain Hills Middle School | 4-8 | 237 | 11.3 |
| Little Falcons Preschool | PK-PK | 40 | 20.0 |
| EVIT North Fountain Hills | 9-12 | — | — |
| EVIT - Fountain Hills Vocational Center | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near Fountain Hills
- Scottsdale, AZ8.8 mi · 241,361 people · home $789,800
- Paradise Valley, AZ13.4 mi · 12,658 people · home $2,000,001
- Mesa, AZ14.5 mi · 504,258 people · home $408,000
- Carefree, AZ18.0 mi · 3,690 people · home $1,088,100
- Tempe, AZ18.8 mi · 180,587 people · home $455,400
- Apache Junction, AZ19.3 mi · 38,499 people · home $211,500
- Phoenix, AZ20.4 mi · 1,608,139 people · home $420,700
- Gilbert, AZ20.6 mi · 267,918 people · home $575,100
Fountain Hills questions
Is Fountain Hills, Arizona a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fountain Hills scores better for retirees than 78% of Arizona towns and quieter than 57%. 40.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 61.5).
How much does a house cost in Fountain Hills?
The median owner-occupied home in Fountain Hills is valued at $622,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $112,654, so homes cost about 5.5 times income. Median rent is $1,890 a month.
What is the weather like in Fountain Hills?
July highs average 103.0°F and January lows 44.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 10.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Fountain Hills get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fountain Hills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on January 17, 1993. The typical Arizona town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)