Scores by category

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

Safety50#466/924
Economy15#787/925
Housing50#461/925
Health62#349/925
Healthcare5#873/923
Environment26#675/917
Education10#836/925
Infrastructure44#518/925
Community23#712/925
Leisure & amenities2#906/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Depression · low18.6%
96/100Arizona 20.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high34.4%
96/100Arizona 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · low16.2%
92/100Arizona 17.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · high79.6 yrs
90/100Arizona 77.3 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low9 mi
85/100Arizona 30 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,985 /100k
83/100Arizona 2,070 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Unemployment rate · high14.0%
0/100Arizona 4.3%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Hot days · high178 days
0/100Arizona 96 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Social associations · low4.1 /10k
2/100Arizona 5.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · low77.5%
4/100Arizona 89.4%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Restaurants and bars · low4.6 /10k
4/100Arizona 6.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.6 /10k
4/100Arizona 4.2 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
205,618 (2020) → 224,449 (2025)
+9.2%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
High ozone daysImproving
7 days (2017) → 1 days (2022)
−86%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drought exposureImproving
66% (2021) → 51% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−15 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Mental health providersImproving
61 /100k (2021) → 96 /100k (2025)
+57%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
17.9% (2020 & 2021) → 28.9% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.3% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Yuma, AZ metro area improved on 15 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 4 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved15

High school++4.2 points73.3% → 77.5%
Poverty−3.8 points19.4% → 15.6%
Household income+39%$45,243 → $62,876
Child poverty−8.1 points28.5% → 20.4%
Weekly wage+27%$860 → $1,092

Declined8

Firearm deaths+99%9.2 /100k → 18.3 /100k
Suicides+63%10.7 /100k → 17.4 /100k
Transit use−1.3 points2.0% → 0.7%
Uninsured+2.2 points15.4% → 17.6%
Grocery stores−21%1.4 /10k → 1.1 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Yuma, AZ metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.5 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+9.9%	Improved	53%
Average commute time	20.5 min2015-2019	21.3 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Average weekly wage	$8602020	$1,0922025	+27%	Improved	79%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.0%2015-2019	16.8%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Improved	27%
Broadband subscriptions	78.3%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	66%
Child poverty rate	28.5%2015-2019	20.4%2020-2024	−8.1 points	Improved	91%
Distance to an airport	137 mi2020	137 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	25.8 /100k2020	20.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−22%	Improved	47%
Effective property tax rate	0.82%2015-2019	0.61%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	77%
Firearm deaths	9.2 /100k2020	18.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+99%	Declined	2%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	9%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	19%
High school diploma or higher	73.3%2015-2019	77.5%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Improved	92%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	31%
Homicide rate	4.7 /100k2020	4.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−6.4%	Improved	27%
Income adjusted for local prices	$40,8642019	$51,3262024	+26%	Improved	10%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4432015-2019	0.4442020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$45,2432015-2019	$62,8762020-2024	+39%	Improved	94%
New business applications	6.9 /1k2020	10.3 /1k2025	+48%	Improved	54%
Pharmacies	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−3.6%	Little change	60%
Poverty rate	19.4%2015-2019	15.6%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Improved	92%
Property crime rate	1,508 /100k2020	930 /100k2025	−38%	Improved	61%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−3.3%	Little change	36%
Public transit commuters	2.0%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Declined	11%
Rent as share of income	28.2%2015-2019	28.5%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Rent-burdened households	45.1%2015-2019	48.0%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Restaurants and bars	4.7 /10k2020	4.6 /10k2025	−1.8%	Little change	37%
Suicide rate	10.7 /100k2020	17.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+63%	Declined	5%
Traffic deaths	11.3 /100k2015-2019	12.8 /100k2020-2024	+13%	Declined	39%
Unemployment rate	17.0%2020	14.0%2025	−3 points	Improved	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.4%2015-2019	17.6%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Declined	7%
Violent crime rate	331 /100k2020	261 /100k2025	−21%	Improved	60%

“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 Yuma, AZ metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Yuma, AZ metro 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, Yuma, AZ metro area itself moved −3.7 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

211,741 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

79,341 households (±862)

Yuma, AZ metro area
United States share

Under $25k18%13,936
$25k–50k22%17,417
$50k–75k20%15,683

Homes

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

Owners and renters

79,341 households (±862)

Yuma, AZ metro area
United States share

Own71%56,310
Rent29%23,031

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

80,019 workers (±1,416)

Yuma, AZ metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%62,159
Carpool11%8,955
Public transit0.7%†543

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Yuma, AZ employ 18,690 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Yuma, AZ by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse4,420 jobs	4,420	$34,610US $35,660	−3%	38×
Cashiers1,880 jobs	1,880

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.

Yuma, AZ has 3,376 employer establishments, 158 for every 10,000 residents (0.63× the US rate of 248), with 50,443 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,901. The Census Bureau also counts 13,837 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,376; 13,837 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 158; US 248
Paid employees: 50,443
Average annual pay: $43,901; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	302	14.1	0.68×Fewer than typical	3,655	$60,144	649
Specialty trade contractors	268	12.5	0.81×About typical	2,350	$48,760	931
Restaurants and other eating places	264	12.3	0.67×Fewer than typical	5,692	$22,288	107
Lessors of real estate	166	7.7	0.63×Fewer than typical	445	$38,764	1,124
Limited-service restaurants	138	6.4	0.80×About typical	2,889	$21,760	19
Truck transportation	131	6.1	1.21×About typical	665	$60,555	660
Building equipment contractors	113	5.3	0.88×About typical	954	$47,126	235
Automotive repair and maintenance	108	5	1.00×About typical	616	$40,323	374
Construction of buildings	104	4.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	848	$47,309	508
Offices of physicians	104	4.9	0.75×Fewer than typical	668	$88,274	93
Services to buildings and dwellings	98	4.6	0.68×Fewer than typical	566	$33,613	1,661
Full-service restaurants	93	4.3	0.57×Fewer than typical	2,244	$23,392	50

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 214,228 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 $343.2M on contracts performed in Yuma, AZ metro area: $1,529 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $343.2M; −64% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,529; US $1,994
Sole-source: 8.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.2%; 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

U.S. Customs and Border Protection$149.7M44%
Department of the Army$122.8M36%
Department of the Navy$27.9M8.1%
Bureau of Reclamation$11.9M3.5%
Public Buildings Service$8.1M2.4%
Federal Acquisition Service$7.4M2.2%
Defense Logistics Agency$6.7M2.0%
Agricultural Marketing Service$4.3M1.3%

Top recipients

SOUTHWEST VALLEY CONSTRUCTORS CO$89.1M26%
TRAX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION$86.4M25%
BCCG A JOINT VENTURE$52M15%
I.E.-PACIFIC, INC.$8.8M2.6%
TEYA SUPPORT SERVICES LLC$7.1M2.1%

Spending by fiscal year

264.3MFY2017
275.6MFY2018
991.2MFY2019
1.6BFY2020
354.7MFY2021
671MFY2022
460.5MFY2023
522.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$158.2M46%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$93.8M27%
Facilities support services · 5612$19.6M5.7%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$9.1M2.6%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$7.6M2.2%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241

Largest awards

MISSION TEST SUPPORT SERVICES$759.5M
TRAX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION· Yuma County, AZ· Research & development· May 30, 2018 – Apr 1, 2026· W9124R18C0001
BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION IN THE TUCSON & YUMA SECTORS, AZ$659M
BCCG A JOINT VENTURE· Yuma County, AZ· Construction & real property· Sep 19, 2025 – Apr 16, 2026· 70B01C25F00001057
DESIGN-BUILD SERVICES FOR THE EXPANSION & MODERNIZATION PROJECT AT THE SAN LUIS I LAND PORT OF ENTRY IN SAN LUIS, AZ$343.3M
HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO.· Yuma County, AZ· Construction & real property· Sep 21, 2022 – Sep 21, 2026· 47PK0122C0005
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT WILL BE TO PROVIDE DESIGN-BUILD CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE APPROXIMATE 20-MILE PRIMARY BARRIER REPLACEMENT PROJECT ON THE BARRY M. GOLDWATER RANGE BMGR IN THE U.S. BORDER PATROLS YUMA SECTOR IN ARIZONA.

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 $1.3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Yuma, AZ metro area: $5,593 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.3B; −3.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,593; US $12,955
Loan face value: $128.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$727.3M58%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$207.7M17%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$83.5M6.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$75.3M6.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$38.1M3.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$23.1M1.8%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$18.5M1.5%
64.028 · Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance$10M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

YUMA/LA PAZ COUNTIES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT$24.6M2.0%
YUMA, AZ
HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF YUMA$15.6M1.2%
YUMA, AZ
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ARIZONA$11.2M0.9%
PHOENIX, AZ
SUNSET COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.$6.2M0.5%
SOMERTON, AZ
YUMA COUNTY HOUSING DEPT

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$924.1M74%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$234.2M19%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$25.1M2.0%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$21.6M1.7%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration$11.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

1BFY2021
1BFY2022
1.1BFY2023
1.2BFY2024
1.3BFY2025
1.3BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

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 Yuma, 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.

Yuma CountyCentral county17224,449

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

YumaPrincipal city100,139

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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M49740

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Yuma, AZ metro 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 Yuma, 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

Improved15

Declined8

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

Look up any occupation

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