Housing data for Fort Defiance, AZ
Fort Defiance, AZ has an estimated 3,351 residents and 1,229 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Apache County.
48.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $856 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−27.0%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,351 (±467)
- Housing units
- 1,229 (±119)
- Households that rent
- 48.2%
- Median gross rent
- $856
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −27.0%
What stands out in Fort Defiance
Households that rent: 48.2% (±8.4 points) in Fort Defiance, higher than in Apache County (20.6%).
Working from home: 2.9% (±2.6 points) in Fort Defiance, lower than in Apache County (9.1%).
Median home value: $37,400 (±$5,373) in Fort Defiance, lower than in Apache County ($63,700).
Median gross rent: $856 (±$82) in Fort Defiance, higher than in Apache County ($647).
- Renters and owners in Fort Defiance
- Commute and cars in Fort Defiance
- Home values in Fort Defiance
- Median rent in Fort Defiance
Housing in Fort Defiance at a glance
- Median rent: $856 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $583 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 16.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 48.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $56,045 median household income
- Home values: $37,400 median home value
- Types of homes: 1.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 61.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 50.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.4% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 40.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 18.9 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −27.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 18.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Fort Defiance against Apache County, its state and the nation
| Fort Defiance | Apache County | Arizona | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,351 (±467) | 65,341 (exact) | 7,378,838 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,229 (±119) | 28,997 (±87) | 3,192,839 (±631) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 48.2% (±8.4 points) | 20.6% (±1.5 points) | 32.6% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $856 (±$82) | $647 (±$53) | $1,543 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $56,045 (±$5,257) | $41,438 (±$2,581) | $79,964 (±$407) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $37,400 (±$5,373) | $63,700 (±$3,664) | $394,500 (±$1,474) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | — | $572 (±$65) | $1,879 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 50.3% (±9.8 points) | 34.4% (±2.1 points) | 29.3% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.9 minutes (±3.4) | 28.1 minutes (±1.2) | 25.4 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 69.6% (±8.2 points) | 60.0% (±2.0 points) | 91.5% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 32.3 years (±2.7) | 36.6 years (±0.4) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Fort Defiance covers 6.4 square miles of land, about 523 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fort Defiance has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,590 (±541) | 3,351 (±467) | −27.0% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 1,338 (±85) | 1,229 (±119) | −8.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $504 (±$74) | $856 (±$82) | +69.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $34,800 (±$11,739) | $37,400 (±$5,373) | +7.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $35,375 (±$7,990) | $56,045 (±$5,257) | +58.4% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 44.2% (±6.0 points) | 48.2% (±8.4 points) | +4.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.5% (±3.8 points) | 3.4% (±2.6 points) | −1.1 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 Apache County
Fort Defiance has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Apache County as a whole.
In 2024, the police departments that report for Apache County recorded 115 violent and 186 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.
Places near Fort Defiance
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Rock | 5.3 mi | $732 | $84,900 | 62.1% |
| St. Michaels | 6.2 mi | $839 | $202,500 | 9.4% |
| Navajo | 11 mi | $683 | — | 96.0% |
| Rock Springs | 16 mi | — | $18,000 | 2.3% |
| Gamerco | 21 mi | $860 | $99,600 | 44.8% |
| Gallup | 24 mi | $927 | $165,200 | 47.9% |
| Church Rock | 30 mi | $780 | $39,100 | 33.3% |
| Iyanbito | 36 mi | $642 | $49,300 | 14.7% |
Places in Arizona most like Fort Defiance
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayenta | $772 | $37,400 | $58,423 | 46.2% |
| Flowing Wells | $1,034 | $41,100 | $39,774 | 30.7% |
| Peach Springs | $658 | $90,500 | $60,054 | 62.5% |
| Canyon Day | $869 | $58,300 | $36,207 | 38.1% |
| Chinle | $565 | $39,200 | $53,239 | 52.5% |
| Clifton | $607 | $66,000 | $78,480 | 61.6% |
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 Fort Defiance, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $746 | $819 | $1,071 | $1,483 | $1,790 |
HUD income limits for Fort Defiance, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $24,000 | $38,400 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $27,400 | $43,850 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $30,850 | $49,350 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $34,250 | $54,800 |
| 5 people | $37,000 | $37,000 | $59,200 |
| 6 people | $39,750 | $39,750 | $63,600 |
| 7 people | $42,500 | $42,500 | $68,000 |
| 8 people | $45,250 | $45,250 | $72,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Apache County, AZ, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $54,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Fort Defiance is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
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 Fort Defiance
What is the average rent in Fort Defiance, AZ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Fort Defiance is $856 (±$82) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Fort Defiance?
Fort Defiance has an estimated 490 (±104) renting households, 48.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Fort Defiance?
The median household income in Fort Defiance is $56,045 (±$5,257) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fort Defiance, AZ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $37,400 (±$5,373) for owner-occupied homes in Fort Defiance (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Fort Defiance?
Fort Defiance, AZ has an estimated 1,229 (±119) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Fort Defiance?
The most common size is 3 bedrooms, 42.0% of homes in Fort Defiance, AZ.
Is Fort Defiance growing?
In Fort Defiance, the number of residents went from 4,590 in 2015–2019 to 3,351 in 2020–2024 (−27.0%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Apache County, AZ
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Apache County, AZ
- 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 Fort Defiance CDP, Arizona (place:24460, 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 .