Jobs, pay and daily life in Safford, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Safford is a city in Arizona with 10,239 residents. The median household earns $65,647 a year and the median rent is $1,048 a month, which is 19.2% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Safford compares. Among the 80 largest places in Arizona, Safford is #68 by population, #79 for remote work (#1 = most), #15 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #60 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Graham County, is #7 of 15 counties for average pay ($57,182).
Safford has 10,239 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of Arizona. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,103 people per square mile. The median age is 31.0, 21% younger than the state median (31.0 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,048 a month (rent plus utilities), 32% below the state median ($1,048 against $1,543). Over a year that is 19.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $199,800, which is 3.0 times the median household income ($65,647); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 71.5% of households own their home, 6% above the state average (71.5% against 67.4%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Graham County was 4.3%. 61.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Graham County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.5% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 0.4% walk, 4.4% work from home. 18.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 29% above the state average (18.3% against 14.2%).
18.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46% below the state share (18.1% against 33.3%). 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 81% below the state share (2.4% against 13.0%). The poverty rate is 14.1%, 13% above the state rate (14.1% against 12.5%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.2°C), and the coolest is Dec at 42°F (5.8°C). About 363 mm (14 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (77 mm) and May the driest (7 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Saddlebrooke (71 miles, rent 165% higher); Globe (72 miles, rent 18% lower); Tanque Verde (72 miles, rent 29% higher); Catalina Foothills (78 miles, rent 35% higher). Rent differences are against Safford; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Arizona (983) →State guide: ArizonaCountry guideGraham CountyArizona rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 983 federal postings open in Arizona (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 18.9% |
| Retail trade | 9.9% |
| Construction | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.0% |
| Public administration | 6.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 4.7% |
| Other services | 4.1% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Manufacturing | 0.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Safford lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham County | 39,232 | $2,015 million | $51,367 | 10,751 | 624 | $57,182 | +3.3% | 4.3% | 17,341 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,556 | 27.0% | $35,870 | 1.45 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,391 | 24.1% | $59,405 | 0.90 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,035 | 18.0% | $21,091 | 1.06 |
| Construction | 430 | 7.5% | $55,489 | 0.76 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 294 | 5.1% | $62,609 | 0.91 |
| Professional and technical services | 214 | 3.7% | $64,811 | 0.29 |
| Manufacturing | 208 | 3.6% | $46,271 | 0.24 |
| Wholesale trade | 191 | 3.3% | $75,730 | 0.45 |
| Finance and insurance | 135 | 2.3% | $66,863 | 0.31 |
| Administrative and waste services | 106 | 1.8% | $41,249 | 0.17 |
| Educational services | 70 | 1.2% | $24,125 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 39 | 0.7% | $100,566 | 0.22 |
| Information | 37 | 0.6% | $28,844 | 0.18 |
| Real estate and rental | 31 | 0.5% | $30,879 | 0.19 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 29 | 0.5% | $19,044 | 0.16 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.5% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 0.4% |
| Work from home | 4.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,647 |
| Income per person | $28,474 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,048 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.2% |
| Median home value | $199,800 |
| Homeowners | 71.5% |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 31.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.1% |
| Born abroad | 2.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.0 | 43 | 36 |
| Feb | 7.7 | 46 | 29 |
| Mar | 11.5 | 53 | 20 |
| Apr | 15.4 | 60 | 10 |
| May | 20.6 | 69 | 7 |
| Jun | 26.8 | 80 | 8 |
| Jul | 27.2 | 81 | 77 |
| Aug | 26.2 | 79 | 64 |
| Sep | 23.3 | 74 | 38 |
| Oct | 17.6 | 64 | 20 |
| Nov | 11.1 | 52 | 21 |
| Dec | 5.8 | 42 | 33 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddlebrooke | AZ | 71 mi | 13,085 | $88,686 | $2,774 |
| Globe | AZ | 72 mi | 7,195 | $69,170 | $858 |
| Tanque Verde | AZ | 72 mi | 15,866 | $121,599 | $1,347 |
| Catalina Foothills | AZ | 78 mi | 52,593 | $115,304 | $1,412 |
| Oro Valley | AZ | 80 mi | 48,162 | $107,117 | $1,669 |
| Vail | AZ | 81 mi | 16,315 | $130,904 | $2,057 |
| Tucson | AZ | 83 mi | 547,073 | $57,073 | $1,145 |
| Silver City | NM | 83 mi | 9,536 | $38,711 | $866 |
| Casas Adobes | AZ | 84 mi | 72,059 | $83,683 | $1,650 |
| Flowing Wells | AZ | 85 mi | 16,559 | $39,774 | $1,034 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,239 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,048 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.2% of the median household income.
$65,647 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, Graham County (latest month 2026M09)).
Arizona. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.