Jobs, pay and daily life in Sun Lakes, 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.
Sun Lakes is a city in Arizona with 13,924 residents. The median household earns $67,853 a year and the median rent is $1,938 a month, which is 34.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area, where BLS counts 2,375,760 jobs.
How Sun Lakes compares. Among the 80 largest places in Arizona, Sun Lakes is #57 by population, #66 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #15 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #15 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Maricopa County, is #2 of 15 counties for average pay ($73,840).
Sun Lakes has 13,924 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Arizona. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,591 people per square mile. The median age is 73.5, 88% older than the state median (73.5 against 39.0). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,938 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% above the state median ($1,938 against $1,543). Over a year that is 34.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so rent here is above that line for the typical household. The median home value is $455,200, which is 6.7 times the median household income ($67,853); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 88.0% of households own their home, 31% above the state average (88.0% against 67.4%).
The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area has 2,375,760 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $51,380 a year, about the same as the national median ($51,380 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (295,910 jobs, median $48,120); sales and related (221,850 jobs, median $39,320); transportation and material moving (206,600 jobs, median $45,620). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.4 times) and management (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($114,410) and computer and mathematical ($105,240). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Maricopa County was 4.1%. 21.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Maricopa County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.4% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.0% walk, 21.4% work from home. 8.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 43% below the state average (8.1% against 14.2%).
39.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18% above the state share (39.4% against 33.3%). 7.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 41% below the state share (7.7% against 13.0%). The poverty rate is 9.4%, 25% below the state rate (9.4% against 12.5%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 93°F (34.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 52°F (11.0°C). About 221 mm (9 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (33 mm) and Jun the driest (3 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: Chandler (5 miles, similar rent); Gilbert (10 miles, rent 9% higher); Tempe (13 miles, rent 10% lower); Maricopa (14 miles, rent 3% higher). Rent differences are against Sun Lakes; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Arizona (983) →State guide: ArizonaCountry guideMaricopa 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.
Open federal jobs in Arizona →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 81,520 | 1.52 | $98,610 | $47,990 | $243,280 | -7% |
| Retail Salespersons | 69,060 | 1.16 | $35,960 | $31,090 | $47,660 | +2% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 68,930 | 1.74 | $46,410 | $35,350 | $64,150 | +4% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 57,940 | 0.88 | $36,930 | $31,000 | $41,290 | +3% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 56,420 | 1.25 | $44,950 | $35,220 | $57,810 | +12% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 54,900 | 0.93 | $34,540 | $30,910 | $45,170 | +11% |
| Registered Nurses | 53,700 | 1.04 | $100,830 | $70,730 | $130,930 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 48,660 | 1.03 | $34,920 | $31,140 | $42,430 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 42,650 | 0.99 | $37,730 | $31,640 | $58,500 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 39,920 | 1.15 | $47,530 | $30,850 | $79,780 | +35% |
| Office Clerks, General | 34,540 | 0.92 | $47,680 | $35,810 | $67,970 | +6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 30,480 | 0.97 | $59,770 | $43,500 | $76,550 | +2% |
| Software Developers | 29,380 | 1.14 | $131,750 | $82,500 | $180,460 | -3% |
| Construction Laborers | 29,230 | 1.74 | $46,910 | $36,770 | $62,250 | -0% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 26,990 | 0.80 | $36,280 | $31,660 | $46,070 | -2% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 26,350 | 1.13 | $48,930 | $36,610 | $78,300 | -1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 23,940 | 1.09 | $65,470 | $47,150 | $97,260 | -6% |
| Security Guards | 23,160 | 1.18 | $38,290 | $33,190 | $55,290 | +1% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 22,010 | 0.84 | $48,800 | $37,690 | $73,840 | +3% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 21,780 | 1.01 | $39,170 | $34,940 | $46,500 | +5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,050 | 1.25 | $341,680 | $183,290 | $425,910 | +40% |
| Physicians, All Other | 5,210 | 0.99 | $301,270 | $75,570 | $518,640 | +13% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,960 | 1.91 | $259,320 | $65,610 | $391,480 | +1% |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,080 | 1.80 | $233,950 | $111,020 | $408,620 | +11% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,100 | 1.33 | $228,040 | $96,380 | $344,080 | -2% |
| Dentists, General | 2,700 | 1.42 | $194,180 | $62,230 | $336,950 | +14% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 11,510 | 1.12 | $169,720 | $105,760 | $240,140 | -3% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,250 | 0.97 | $169,310 | $124,910 | $263,890 | -1% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 2,820 | 2.41 | $167,010 | $103,450 | $218,440 | +3% |
| Veterinarians | 1,480 | 1.15 | $161,060 | $82,580 | $304,630 | +24% |
| Database Architects | 980 | 0.95 | $156,100 | $99,730 | $175,260 | +12% |
| Sales Managers | 11,210 | 1.15 | $148,320 | $76,480 | $263,490 | +0% |
| Financial Managers | 12,030 | 0.94 | $145,940 | $84,060 | $269,990 | -12% |
| Human Resources Managers | 3,160 | 0.94 | $145,610 | $90,750 | $229,350 | -2% |
| Pharmacists | 5,050 | 1.03 | $144,490 | $105,920 | $171,160 | +3% |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,270 | 0.99 | $140,170 | $98,600 | $220,010 | -5% |
| Chief Executives | 3,140 | 1.00 | $138,900 | $62,140 | $455,660 | -35% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5,450 | 1.11 | $136,270 | $105,510 | $173,980 | +3% |
| Lawyers | 8,820 | 0.77 | $135,670 | $87,170 | $291,750 | -15% |
| Managers, All Other | 5,650 | 0.59 | $135,390 | $84,670 | $212,630 | -5% |
These figures are for the whole Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $51,380 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 13.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 11.2% |
| Retail trade | 11.1% |
| Public administration | 7.8% |
| Other services | 7.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.2% |
| Manufacturing | 6.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.0% |
| Construction | 3.9% |
| Information | 2.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Sun Lakes 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 4,559,748 | $419,250 million | $91,946 | 2,280,645 | 142,693 | $73,840 | +2.1% | 4.1% | 2,438,322 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 335,894 | 16.3% | $69,242 | 1.03 |
| Retail trade | 236,403 | 11.5% | $49,682 | 1.04 |
| Accommodation and food services | 210,601 | 10.2% | $32,478 | 1.02 |
| Administrative and waste services | 185,155 | 9.0% | $56,121 | 1.38 |
| Construction | 174,553 | 8.5% | $84,124 | 1.46 |
| Finance and insurance | 141,344 | 6.9% | $106,212 | 1.53 |
| Manufacturing | 141,236 | 6.8% | $100,546 | 0.75 |
| Professional and technical services | 133,249 | 6.5% | $108,429 | 0.84 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 111,653 | 5.4% | $63,769 | 1.16 |
| Wholesale trade | 92,738 | 4.5% | $108,273 | 1.03 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 62,524 | 3.0% | $54,215 | 0.91 |
| Educational services | 57,657 | 2.8% | $53,902 | 1.22 |
| Real estate and rental | 46,785 | 2.3% | $79,540 | 1.32 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 43,206 | 2.1% | $60,165 | 1.13 |
| Management of companies | 36,216 | 1.8% | $130,100 | 0.94 |
| Information | 36,082 | 1.7% | $131,865 | 0.84 |
| Utilities | 8,690 | 0.4% | $138,945 | 1.00 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 5,871 | 0.3% | $52,780 | 0.32 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 2,336 | 0.1% | $143,579 | 0.27 |
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 | 70.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.0% |
| Work from home | 21.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,853 |
| Income per person | $54,895 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,938 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 34.3% |
| Median home value | $455,200 |
| Homeowners | 88.0% |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $51,380 |
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 | 73.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 39.4% |
| Born abroad | 7.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 21.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.4 | 53 | 26 |
| Feb | 13.1 | 56 | 25 |
| Mar | 17.1 | 63 | 16 |
| Apr | 21.0 | 70 | 7 |
| May | 26.3 | 79 | 5 |
| Jun | 32.2 | 90 | 3 |
| Jul | 34.1 | 93 | 33 |
| Aug | 33.1 | 92 | 33 |
| Sep | 30.2 | 86 | 21 |
| Oct | 23.7 | 75 | 12 |
| Nov | 17.0 | 63 | 15 |
| Dec | 11.0 | 52 | 25 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler | AZ | 5 mi | 280,136 | $108,095 | $1,902 |
| Gilbert | AZ | 10 mi | 280,262 | $122,551 | $2,110 |
| Tempe | AZ | 13 mi | 188,065 | $79,663 | $1,743 |
| Maricopa | AZ | 14 mi | 67,163 | $96,391 | $1,998 |
| Queen Creek | AZ | 15 mi | 71,867 | $141,978 | $2,210 |
| Mesa | AZ | 16 mi | 511,764 | $82,752 | $1,620 |
| San Tan Valley | AZ | 18 mi | 109,189 | $96,713 | $2,085 |
| Casa Grande | AZ | 22 mi | 60,905 | $69,983 | $1,386 |
| Apache Junction | AZ | 22 mi | 41,058 | $60,975 | $1,146 |
| Paradise Valley | AZ | 24 mi | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,501 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
13,924 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,938 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 34.3% of the median household income.
$67,853 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Maricopa County (latest month 2026M09)).
Arizona. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.