The Town FilesOro Valley, Arizona
Town in Pima County · population 47,070 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $475,700
- Household income
- $107,117
- Jan low / Jul high
- 31° / 100°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 55.4
Oro Valley is a town of 47,070 people in Pima County, Arizona. The median home is worth $475,700, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). It ranks more upscale than 96% of Arizona towns, better for young professionals than 86% of Arizona towns, better for families than 82% of Arizona towns.
How Oro Valley 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 Oro Valley is worth $475,700, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $107,117, which is more affordable than 40% of Arizona towns. Median rent is $1,669 a month. 76.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oro Valley | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $475,700 | $248,600 |
| Median rent | $1,669 | $1,050 |
| Median household income | $107,117 | $60,835 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.4× | 4.0× |
| Homeownership | 76.4% | 78.6% |
| Median year built | 1997 | 1990 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.9% | — |
Who lives in Oro Valley
| People | Oro Valley | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.4 | 42.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 35.7% | 21.8% |
| Under 18 | 16.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.0% | 18.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 13.8% |
| Veterans | 11.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.4% | — |
| Work from home | 22.6% | 10.2% |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.9% | 88.0% |
Weather in Oro Valley
July highs average 99.7°F and January lows 30.6°F. About 13.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Arizona town: 0.2 in). Expect about 157 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 67 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oro Valley since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Arizona town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 28, 1994 about 3.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 8, 2006.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 10, 2018.
Severe weather in Pima County since 1996
Pima County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 11, 2020 | Fire | FM-5312: Big Horn Fire |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4524: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3442: Covid-19 |
| September 7, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1660: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 12, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3241: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Jobs and pay in Pima County
Pima County had 386,312 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,936 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Oro Valley itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.
Public schools in Oro Valley
11 public schools with 7,479 students, about 26.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon Del Oro High School | 9-12 | 1,737 | 22.0 |
| Ironwood Ridge High School | 9-12 | 1,562 | 23.3 |
| Leman Academy of Excellence-Oro Valley Arizona (charter) | K-8 | 1,018 | — |
| Richard B Wilson Jr School | PK-8 | 788 | 15.5 |
| BASIS Oro Valley Primary (charter) | K-6 | 649 | — |
| BASIS Oro Valley (charter) | 5-12 | 570 | — |
| Painted Sky Elementary School | PK-5 | 431 | 14.9 |
| The Innovation Academy | PK-5 | 425 | 14.7 |
| Copper Creek Elementary School | PK-5 | 299 | 9.6 |
| PCJTED - Canyon Del Oro High School | 9-12 | — | — |
| PCJTED - Ironwood Ridge High School | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near Oro Valley
- Casas Adobes, AZ5.8 mi · 70,973 people · home $343,400
- Catalina, AZ6.3 mi · 7,551 people · home $276,200
- Flowing Wells, AZ9.0 mi · 15,657 people · home $41,100
- Marana, AZ9.8 mi · 51,908 people · home $413,800
- Catalina Foothills, AZ9.8 mi · 52,401 people · home $652,000
- Saddlebrooke, AZ11.1 mi · 12,574 people · home $498,700
- Tucson Mountains, AZ11.2 mi · 10,862 people · home $473,200
- South Tucson, AZ15.6 mi · 4,613 people · home $167,000
Oro Valley questions
Is Oro Valley, Arizona a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oro Valley scores better for retirees than 78% of Arizona towns and quieter than 34%. 35.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.4).
How much does a house cost in Oro Valley?
The median owner-occupied home in Oro Valley is valued at $475,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $107,117, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $1,669 a month.
What is the weather like in Oro Valley?
July highs average 99.7°F and January lows 30.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Oro Valley get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Oro Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 28, 1994. 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)