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Vail, AZ

A town of about 16,315 people in Pima County, part of the Tucson area. Resident comments and photos are about Vail; job numbers cover the wider area.

What kind of place it is

Big-city feel

Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Vail scores 70 or higher out of 100.

Big-city feel
85 / 100
Big-city feel: 1.0 million people in the metro, 2 buildings 20+ stories, 1,336 bus and train stops

Less so: cozy.

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Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

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Where it is
Vail
Vail in Arizona
Arizona in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Vail's center.

1
grocery store
3
restaurants
1
coffee shop
12
parks
19
playgrounds
1
gym
1
pharmacy

None found within 5 miles: libraries, movie theaters, hospitals.

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Vail.

Bike lanes and bike paths
29 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
45 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 438 rented homes in Vail, 62% rent for under $2,000 a month and 100% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 13%
$1,000 to $1,499: 8%
$1,500 to $1,999: 42%
$2,000 to $2,499: 15%
$2,500 to $2,999: 23%
$3,000 or more: 0%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Vail rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Arizona: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Arizona DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Arizona voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

15 public school districts in this county, with about 118,471 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Vail Unified District (4413) · Vail
14,533 students · 18.4 students per teacher · 23 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Tucson Unified District (4403) · Tucson
41,511 students · 14.7 students per teacher · 90 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Sunnyside Unified District (4407) · Tucson
14,541 students · 19.6 students per teacher · 22 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Marana Unified District (4404) · Marana
12,823 students · 16.7 students per teacher · 20 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Amphitheater Unified District (4406) · Tucson
12,042 students · 15.2 students per teacher · 22 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Arizona keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$250/week
about $13,000 a year
$175/week
about $9,100 a year
Toddler (2)$182/week
about $9,500 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$182/week
about $9,500 a year
$175/week
about $9,100 a year
School-age$170/week
about $8,800 a year

For an infant at a center: $250/week here, $253 across AZ, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Arizona →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

3 colleges in the county around Vail. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

University of Arizona · Tucson
Public, 4-year · 53,001 students · $13,277 in-state, $38,784 out-of-state
Pima Community College · Tucson
Public, 2-year (community college) · 15,819 students · $2,370 in-state, $7,686 out-of-state
Tohono O'odham Community College · Sells
Public, 2-year (community college) · 1,176 students · $932 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$335,747
What a typical home sells for across the Tucson area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 3% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $97 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 96.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 34 min at rush hour
To downtown Tucson, AZ, 26 miles. About 31 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
24 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
1 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 8.1 miles from the town center (DirecTV). The largest is about 14,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $2,344 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in AZ. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
None within 5 miles
No hospital is mapped within 5 miles of the center. Check the drive to the nearest one before you move.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
37.8 per 100,000 people a year
408 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. AZ average: 37.9 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 20.5 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 2,218 people without housing in the Tucson/Pima County area: 942 in shelters and 1,276 outside, up from 2,142 in 2024. AZ: 20.1 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$67,929
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.78% of home value a year
About $780 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Flat 2.50%
AZ's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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