Census-designated place · Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Rio Rico, Arizona

Rio Rico is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, part of the Nogales, AZ metro area. It has 22,017 residents. Rio Rico, Arizona has a quality-of-life score of 17 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,010 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Arizona it ranks #125 of 207 cities and towns. It ranks best on preventable hospital stays (low), comfortable days (high) and depression (low). It ranks worst on food environment index (low), social associations (low) and pharmacies (low).

17Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,010 of 15,651 cities and towns
Arizona: #125 of 207 in AZ
Population: 22,017 (2020-2024)
Land area: 63 mi²
Density: 349.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 0460180

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety45#8,553/15,637
Economy25#11,773/15,631
Housing32#10,212/14,977
Health66#5,372/15,609
Healthcare9#14,172/15,650
Environment50#7,668/15,453
Education7#14,581/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,851/15,650
Community27#11,416/15,651
Leisure & amenities28#11,266/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Rio Rico, Arizona ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Santa Cruz County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Preventable hospital stays · low859 /100k
100/100Arizona 2,070 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Comfortable days · high40.6%
97/100Arizona 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationSanta Cruz County value
Depression · low16.2%
95/100Arizona 20.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Life expectancy · high81.5 yrs
93/100Arizona 77.3 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Job growth · high2.7%
92/100Arizona -0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSanta Cruz County value
Loneliness · low30.0%
92/100Arizona 32.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Food environment index · low5.8
3/100Arizona 6.8United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Social associations · low4.3 /10k
3/100Arizona 5.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
5/100Arizona 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSanta Cruz County value
Mental health providers · low55 /100k
7/100Arizona 208 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Dentists · low24 /100k
7/100Arizona 68 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Cruz County value
Unemployment rate · high10.5%
8/100Arizona 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
19,581 (2015-2019) → 22,017 (2020-2024)
+12%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
44.0% (2015-2019) → 62.0% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.5% (2015-2019) → 90.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
27.7% (2015-2019) → 38.1% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
27.6% (2015-2019) → 20.9% (2020-2024)
−6.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.8× (2015-2019) → 3.7× (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Rio Rico, Arizona improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+11 points79.5% → 90.5%
Household income+19%$51,475 → $61,348

Declined2

Unemployment+4.4 points6.1% → 10.5%
Price / income+0.8×2.8× → 3.7×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Rio Rico, Arizona between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.7 min2015-2019	28.3 min2020-2024	+2.5 min	Within the margin of error	23%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.7%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Broadband subscriptions	79.5%2015-2019	90.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	65%
Child poverty rate	27.6%2015-2019	20.9%2020-2024	−6.7 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Effective property tax rate	0.78%2015-2019	0.62%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	48%
High school diploma or higher	81.4%2015-2019	79.6%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4282015-2019	0.3982020-2024	−0.029	Within the margin of error	74%
Median household income	$51,4752015-2019	$61,3482020-2024	+19%	Improved	31%
Poverty rate	19.2%2015-2019	16.6%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	38.1%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Rent-burdened households	44.0%2015-2019	62.0%2020-2024	+18 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2015-2019	10.5%2020-2024	+4.4 points	Declined	5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.4%2015-2019	13.5%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	25%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Rio Rico, Arizona five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Rio Rico, Arizona in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Rio Rico, Arizona itself moved −9.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

22,017 residents (±552)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,185 households (±344)

Rio Rico, Arizona
Arizona share

Under $25k14%982
$25k–50k29%2,060
$50k–75k16%1,136

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,185 households (±344)

Rio Rico, Arizona
Arizona share

Own85%6,106
Rent15%1,079

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.7 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

8,855 workers (±630)

Rio Rico, Arizona
Arizona share

Drive alone84%7,441
Carpool8.7%†768
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Nogales, AZ

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Santa Cruz County, the county holding most of Rio Rico's residents.

Santa Cruz County has 1,129 employer establishments, 229 for every 10,000 residents (0.92× the US rate of 248; 1.05× Arizona's), with 11,201 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,732. The Census Bureau also counts 5,043 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,129; 5,043 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 229; US 248 · Arizona 219
Paid employees: 11,201
Average annual pay: $44,732; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Santa Cruz County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	77	15.6	3.09×More than typical	544	$47,627	396
Restaurants and other eating places	72	14.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	942	$21,807	43
Lessors of real estate	45	9.1	0.74×Fewer than typical	153	$35,261	336
Full-service restaurants	37	7.5	0.98×About typical	444	$23,628	15
Specialty trade contractors	37	7.5	0.49×Fewer than typical	185	$50,805	314
Ambulatory health care services	35	7.1	0.34×Fewer than typical	728	$56,896	171
Construction of buildings	35	7.1	0.94×About typical	182	$39,912	297
Clothing and accessories stores	33	6.7	1.85×More than typical	404	$23,094	57
Warehousing and storage	33	6.7	10.5×More than typical	481	$44,518	17
Limited-service restaurants	28	5.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	471	$19,376	17
Automotive repair and maintenance	19	3.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	98	$37,327	104
Insurance agencies and brokerages	19	3.9	0.88×About typical	62	$33,823	51

Rank places for an industry Open Santa Cruz County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 49,204 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3.1M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Rio Rico, Arizona: $139 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $3.1M; −50% vs FY2025
Per resident: $139; US $1,995
Sole-source: 12%; US 30%
Single offer: 14%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

International Boundary and Water Commission: U.S.-Mexico$2.1M67%
National Park Service$1M33%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$2,3670.1%
Drug Enforcement Administration$7860.0%

Top recipients

HAMILTON PACIFIC CHAMBERLAIN LLC$938K31%
G.S.E. CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.$508.8K17%
TROJAN TECHNOLOGIES CORP$409.2K13%
UNS ELECTRIC, INC.$326.2K11%
MOMAR, INCORPORATED$212.6K6.9%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
1.1MFY2018
1.2MFY2019
1MFY2020
1.5MFY2021
1.5MFY2022
1.3MFY2023
1.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$938K31%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$532.7K17%
Utility system construction · 2371$409.2K13%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$326.2K11%
Basic chemical manufacturing · 3251$212.6K6.9%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$200.3K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Rio Rico, Arizona, so they do not add up across cities.

Rio Rico, Arizona's figures are part of those of Santa Cruz County, AZ ($2.9B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Rio Rico is mostly in Santa Cruz County.

See federal money in Santa Cruz County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Rio Rico, Arizona is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Adelita S. GrijalvaD-AZ-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.5%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Santa Cruz County24100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Nogales, AZ29

Other cities and towns in Santa Cruz County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0460180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends