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Cost & Benefits

Cost of living in Tempe, Arizona

Simple answer

Typical rent is $1,743 a month.

Tempe is a city in Arizona. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $79,663 a year.

Is Tempe affordable?See benefits in Tempe
People
188,065
Census average, 2020–2024
Typical rent
$1,743
Median gross rent, includes utilities
Typical pay
$79,663
Median household income, yearly
Typical home
$455,400
Median home value
2-bedroom fair rent
$1,734
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA

Tempe, Arizona has about 188,065 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $455,400.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Maricopa County is $1,734 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Tempe. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, prices sit at 103.3 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Arizona taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 8.5% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Tempe's exact store tax.

In July 2026, a typical Arizona home paid 15.38¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Tempe's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Arizona in the table we use.

Among 171 places we list in Arizona with a rent figure, 29 have higher typical rent than Tempe.

Nearby places

EBT nearby

USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.

Find SNAP stores near TempeWhat EBT can buy in Arizona

Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.

Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Arizona

Bigger places in Arizona

Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.