Housing data for Carefree, AZ
Carefree, AZ has an estimated 3,683 residents and 2,315 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Maricopa County.
8.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,538 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,683 (±22)
- Housing units
- 2,315 (±263)
- Households that rent
- 8.9%
- Median gross rent
- $1,538
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.4%
What stands out in Carefree
Median home value: $1,088,100 (±$67,315) in Carefree, higher than in Maricopa County ($452,800).
Working from home: 50.2% (±15.7 points) in Carefree, higher than in Maricopa County (20.8%).
Households that rent: 8.9% (±4.7 points) in Carefree, lower than in Maricopa County (34.8%).
Median household income: $147,165 (±$38,793) in Carefree, higher than in Maricopa County ($89,300).
Housing in Carefree at a glance
- Median rent: $1,538 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 75.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 8.9% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $147,165 median household income
- Home values: $1,088,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,500 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,972 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 4.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 81.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 31.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 52.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 36.1 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −3.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 17.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Fair Market Rent: $1,880 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 85377)
Carefree against Maricopa County, its state and the nation
| Carefree | Maricopa County | Arizona | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,683 (±22) | 4,559,748 (exact) | 7,378,838 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,315 (±263) | 1,884,334 (±536) | 3,192,839 (±631) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 8.9% (±4.7 points) | 34.8% (±0.3 points) | 32.6% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,538 (±$311) | $1,708 (±$8) | $1,543 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $147,165 (±$38,793) | $89,300 (±$562) | $79,964 (±$407) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,088,100 (±$67,315) | $452,800 (±$1,398) | $394,500 (±$1,474) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,972 (±$331) | $1,983 (±$12) | $1,879 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 31.9% (±10.1 points) | 28.5% (±0.3 points) | 29.3% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 36.1 minutes (±11.7) | 26.0 minutes (±0.2) | 25.4 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 100.0% (±2.4 points) | 93.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.5% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 64.9 years (±2.8) | 37.6 years (±0.2) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Carefree covers 8.8 square miles of land, about 418 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Carefree has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,811 (±15) | 3,683 (±22) | −3.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,736 (±294) | 2,315 (±263) | −15.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,446 (±$371) | $1,538 (±$311) | +6.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $747,000 (±$143,973) | $1,088,100 (±$67,315) | +45.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $79,152 (±$24,901) | $147,165 (±$38,793) | +85.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,615 (±$1,122) | $2,500 (±$738) | −4.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,614 (±$324) | $2,972 (±$331) | +13.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 17.0% (±8.6 points) | 8.9% (±4.7 points) | −8.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±9.9 points) | 0.0% (±23.6 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Maricopa County
Carefree has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Maricopa County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Maricopa County recorded 431 violent and 1,675 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Carefree
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85377 | 100% | 3,437 | $1,538 | $1,077,500 | $149,167 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Carefree
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Creek | 4.1 mi | $2,493 | $906,100 | 5.4% |
| Scottsdale | 10 mi | $2,013 | $789,800 | 33.0% |
| New River | 11 mi | $1,948 | $640,600 | 5.3% |
| Anthem | 12 mi | $2,548 | $569,900 | 15.1% |
| Rio Verde | 15 mi | — | $774,100 | 3.7% |
| Fountain Hills | 18 mi | $1,890 | $622,900 | 15.6% |
| Paradise Valley | 19 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 5.0% |
| Phoenix | 20 mi | $1,582 | $420,700 | 42.7% |
Places in Arizona most like Carefree
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New River | $1,948 | $640,600 | $134,289 | 5.3% |
| Tanque Verde | $1,347 | $607,900 | $121,599 | 3.9% |
| Tucson Mountains | $1,450 | $473,200 | $134,474 | 3.8% |
| Queen Creek | $2,210 | $635,400 | $141,978 | 9.8% |
| Cave Creek | $2,493 | $906,100 | $107,067 | 5.4% |
| Fountain Hills | $1,890 | $622,900 | $112,654 | 15.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Arizona.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Carefree, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,390 | $1,493 | $1,734 | $2,287 | $2,537 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Carefree, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,600 | $39,350 | $62,950 |
| 2 people | $27,000 | $45,000 | $71,950 |
| 3 people | $30,350 | $50,600 | $80,950 |
| 4 people | $33,700 | $56,200 | $89,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $60,700 | $97,100 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $65,200 | $104,300 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $69,700 | $111,500 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $74,200 | $118,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $112,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Carefree
What is the average rent in Carefree, AZ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Carefree is $1,538 (±$311) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Carefree?
The median household income in Carefree is $147,165 (±$38,793) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Carefree, AZ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,088,100 (±$67,315) for owner-occupied homes in Carefree (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Carefree?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Carefree, AZ is $2,500 (±$738) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Carefree?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Carefree, AZ is $2,972 (±$331) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Carefree?
Carefree, AZ has an estimated 2,315 (±263) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Carefree growing?
In Carefree, the number of residents went from 3,811 in 2015–2019 to 3,683 in 2020–2024 (−3.4%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Carefree?
The ZIP code that covers Carefree is 85377.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 85377?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 85377 is $1,538 (±$311) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Carefree town, Arizona
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Carefree town, Arizona (place:10180, in state:04).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .