Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety16#776/924
Economy1#914/925
Housing77#212/925
Health4#890/925
Healthcare9#840/923
Environment94#53/917
Education15#786/925
Infrastructure2#909/925
Community31#638/925
Leisure & amenities7#857/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Show Low, AZ micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Median Air Quality Index · low13
99/100Arizona 642025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Rent as share of income · low22.0%
99/100Arizona 30.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.4 µg/m³
97/100Arizona 6.9 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low34.5%
96/100Arizona 51.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Effective property tax rate · low0.39%
94/100Arizona 0.48%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Public libraries · high1.5 /10k
88/100Arizona 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Premature death · high20,795 /100k
0/100Arizona 9,154 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · high197 /100k
0/100Arizona 106 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · low68.1 yrs
1/100Arizona 77.3 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · low74.2%
1/100Arizona 91.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Suicide rate · high39.4 /100k
1/100Arizona 20.8 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high36.9 /100k
2/100Arizona 16.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New business applicationsImproving
5.7 /1k (2020) → 10.1 /1k (2025)
+76%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drought exposureImproving
96% (2021) → 82% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−14 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Median Air Quality IndexImproving
43 (2020) → 13 (2025)
−70%5 years
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.5% (2015-2019) → 74.2% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
6.7 /1k (2021) → 3.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
44.0% (2015-2019) → 34.5% (2020-2024)
−9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Show Low, AZ micropolitan area improved on 19 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 1 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved19

Rent / income−4.5 points26.5% → 22.0%
Rent burden−9.5 points44.0% → 34.5%
Libraries+8.1%1.4 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Poverty−3.2 points27.9% → 24.7%
Household income+36%$40,067 → $54,606

Declined5

Uninsured+3.8 points15.7% → 19.6%
Commute+3.6 min21.3 min → 25.0 min
Pharmacies−27%0.7 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Overdose deaths+19%34.7 /100k → 41.2 /100k
Price / income+0.5×3.1× → 3.7×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Show Low, AZ micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.6 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+26%	Improved	82%
Average commute time	21.3 min2015-2019	25.0 min2020-2024	+3.6 min	Declined	3%
Average weekly wage	$8362020	$1,0032025	+20%	Improved	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.3%2015-2019	19.1%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	62.5%2015-2019	74.2%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	76%
Child poverty rate	37.6%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	−6.7 points	Improved	87%
Distance to an airport	141 mi2020	141 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	34.7 /100k2020	41.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+19%	Declined	18%
Effective property tax rate	0.49%2015-2019	0.39%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	38%
Firearm deaths	33.7 /100k2020	30.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−10%	Improved	66%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−2.9%	Little change	38%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	67%
High school diploma or higher	83.4%2015-2019	86.4%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	39%
Homicide rate	27.2 /100k2020	15.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−43%	Improved	71%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,6062019	$57,0392024	+37%	Improved	81%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4742015-2019	0.4562020-2024	−0.018	Improved	87%
Median household income	$40,0672015-2019	$54,6062020-2024	+36%	Improved	89%
New business applications	5.7 /1k2020	10.1 /1k2025	+76%	Improved	84%
Pharmacies	0.7 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	10%
Poverty rate	27.9%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Improved	88%
Property crime rate	1,073 /100k2020	987 /100k2025	−8.1%	Improved	11%
Public libraries	1.4 /10k2019	1.5 /10k2024	+8.1%	Improved	90%
Rent as share of income	26.5%2015-2019	22.0%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Improved	97%
Rent-burdened households	44.0%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Improved	97%
Restaurants and bars	7.1 /10k2020	7.2 /10k2025	+0.9%	Little change	49%
Suicide rate	39.3 /100k2020	39.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+0.3%	Little change	60%
Traffic deaths	38.4 /100k2015-2019	36.9 /100k2020-2024	−3.9%	Little change	69%
Unemployment rate	10.7%2020	6.4%2025	−4.3 points	Improved	84%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.7%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Declined	2%
Violent crime rate	310 /100k2020	257 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	51%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Show Low, AZ micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Show Low, AZ micropolitan area 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, Show Low, AZ micropolitan area itself moved +1.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

108,415 residents

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

40,063 households (±803)

Show Low, AZ micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k24%9,662
$25k–50k22%8,804
$50k–75k19%7,514

Homes

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

Owners and renters

40,063 households (±803)

Show Low, AZ micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%29,321
Rent27%10,742

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

34,578 workers (±1,160)

Show Low, AZ micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%26,742
Carpool8.4%2,907
Public transit0.4%†137

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 no occupation wages for Show Low, AZ micropolitan area.

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.

Show Low, AZ has 1,860 employer establishments, 170 for every 10,000 residents (0.69× the US rate of 248), with 20,516 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,779. The Census Bureau also counts 6,635 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,860; 6,635 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 170; US 248
Paid employees: 20,516
Average annual pay: $44,779; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Show Low, AZ by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	190	17.4	0.83×About typical	2,374	$61,449	325
Restaurants and other eating places	167	15.3	0.83×About typical	2,760	$22,734	56
Specialty trade contractors	139	12.7	0.82×About typical	815	$48,983	572
Lessors of real estate	108	9.9	0.80×About typical	192	$42,745	619
Construction of buildings	83	7.6	1.01×About typical	397	$46,531	334
Full-service restaurants	82	7.5	0.98×About typical	1,226	$25,357	24
Limited-service restaurants	72	6.6	0.82×About typical	1,415	$21,098	14
Building equipment contractors	55	5	0.84×About typical	324	$48,157	113
Real estate agents and brokers	55	5	1.03×About typical	55	$75,036	233
Services to buildings and dwellings	55	5	0.75×Fewer than typical	194	$32,521	385
Offices of physicians	54	4.9	0.76×Fewer than typical	325	$88,142	53
Gasoline stations	53	4.9	1.50×More than typical	663	$32,297	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 109,197 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $91.8M on contracts performed in Show Low, AZ micropolitan area: $835 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $91.8M; +22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $835; US $1,994
Sole-source: 8.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; 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

Indian Health Service$68.1M74%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$15.7M17%
Departmental Offices$5.9M6.4%
Federal Aviation Administration$1.1M1.2%
Forest Service$435.9K0.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$226.7K0.2%
Federal Acquisition Service$151K0.2%
Department of the Army$148.2K0.2%

Top recipients

PRAIRIE BAND HEALTH SERVICES INC$9.1M9.9%
FOUR WINDS STAFFING LLC$7.2M7.9%
BAY AREA ANESTHESIA LLC$5.3M5.8%
PEN-ROB, INC.$4.9M5.4%
WU & ASSOCIATES INC$4.8M5.3%

Spending by fiscal year

52.5MFY2017
47.6MFY2018
48.9MFY2019
64.4MFY2020
81.1MFY2021
116.8MFY2022
119MFY2023
83.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Offices of physicians · 6211$20.7M23%
Employment services · 5613$19.3M21%
Offices of other health practitioners · 6213$10.3M11%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$7.8M8.5%
Medical and diagnostic laboratories · 6215$6.2M6.7%

Largest awards

EMERGENCY ROOM REGISTERED NURSES AT HOPI HEALTH CARE CENTER$12.3M
RAO RADIOLOGISTS, INC.· Navajo County, AZ· Health & medical· Sep 22, 2021 – Jun 23, 2026· 75H71221F80231
SURGICAL/MEDICAL REGISTERED NURSE SERVICES AT HHCC$12.3M
RAO RADIOLOGISTS, INC.· Navajo County, AZ· Health & medical· Sep 23, 2021 – May 20, 2026· 75H71221F80233
TASK ORDER FOR THE 2026 WILDLAND FIRE SEASON UNDER CONTRACT 140D0423D0083 FOR AN EXCLUSIVE USE (EU) FIXED WING ATGS WITH SENSOR BASED IN BARTLESVILLE, OK, SHOW LOW, AZ, AND MOSES LAKE, WA.$6.8M
BRIDGER AEROSPACE GROUP, LLC· Navajo County, AZ· Transportation & logistics· Jan 14, 2026 – Jul 28, 2026· 140D0426F0129

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Show Low, AZ micropolitan area: $10,550 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.2B; +4.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,550; US $12,955
Loan face value: $45.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$484.5M42%
20.289 · Tribal Transportation Program (TTP)$167.3M14%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$66.6M5.7%
84.041 · Impact Aid$61.7M5.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$58.3M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$50.3M4.3%
15.042 · Indian School Equalization$42.4M3.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$33.7M2.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

NAVAJO NATION TRIBAL GOVERNMENT$169.7M15%
WINDOW ROCK, AZ
WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE$30M2.6%
WHITERIVER, AZ
WHITERIVER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 20$23.3M2.0%
WHITERIVER, AZ
HOPI BOARD OF EDUCATION$19.4M1.7%
KYKOTSMOVI VILLAGE, AZ
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ARIZONA

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$626.9M54%
Federal Highway Administration$201M17%
Department of Transportation
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$111.1M9.6%
Department of the Interior
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$73.5M6.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.1BFY2021
934MFY2022
873.1MFY2023
1BFY2024
1.1BFY2025
1.2BFY2026

County aggregates

62%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Show Low, AZ

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Navajo CountyCentral county11109,946

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Show LowPrincipal city12,102

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arizona

Areas based in Arizona, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M43320

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved19

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Show Low, AZ micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Show Low, AZ

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arizona

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved19

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought