Sun City West, Arizona Income Statistics
Sun City West Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Sun City West Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Sun City West | Arizona Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $64,178 | $80,381 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $68,905 | $56,905 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.4% | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 10.1% | 12.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.1% | 11.6% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Sun City West is about 20% lower than in Arizona. Income has been growing slower in Sun City West (4.4%/yr) than in Arizona (5.7%/yr).
About 10% of adults in Sun City West earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Arizona average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Sun City West, Arizona grew by 44.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $64,178 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Sun City West
| Metric | Sun City West | Arizona Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.479 | 0.548 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $101,693 | $65,388 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $60,499 | $54,779 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 40.5% | 16.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Sun City West, it is 0.479, lower than Arizona's 0.548, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 68% more than women's income in Sun City West, Arizona. Over a 35-year career, a 68% wage gap accumulates to roughly $1,441,790 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Sun City West, Arizona has widened from about 34% to 41% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 41% in 2022, and was narrowest at 11% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $22,498 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Sun City West widened by 6.4 points while Arizona's narrowed by 0.9 points.
Employment
| Metric | Sun City West | Arizona Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 22.3% | 18.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 130 people are unemployed in Sun City West, Arizona.
The average commute time in Sun City West is 16 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Arizona.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Sun City West, Arizona has fallen from 9.7% to 3.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.2% in 2015 and fell as low as 3.1% in 2022.
Sun City West, AZ Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Sun City West, AZ is the smallest of the 5 cities compared here, 25,067 residents against a local median of 95,495. Sun City West, AZ's median household income, at $64,178, runs 26% below the $87,300 typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 3.7% against a local median of 4.9%, 25% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Sun City West, AZ is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread $41,177 on median household income, so Sun City West, AZ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Sun City West, AZ has the 4th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun City West, AZ | 25,067 | $64,178 #4/5 | 4.4%/yr #5/5 | 3.7% #1/5 | 0.479 #1/5 |
| El Mirage, AZ | 34,950 | $79,919 | 6.3%/yr | 5.7% | 0.529 |
| Sun City, AZ | 40,024 | $54,093 | 4.7%/yr | 5.6% | 0.487 |
| Surprise, AZ | 150,965 | $94,681 | 6.0%/yr | 4.3% | 0.515 |
| Peoria, AZ | 193,918 | $95,270 | 5.0%/yr | 4.0% | 0.535 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Sun City West, Arizona has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Arizona, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Sun City West, Arizona.
How Rich Is Sun City West, Arizona?
Sun City West has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $64,178, about 20% lower than the Arizona average of $80,381.
How fast is household income rising in Sun City West, Arizona?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Sun City West, Arizona rose 44%, from $44,543 to $64,178. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Arizona as a whole: +44% against +60%.
What was the median household income in Sun City West in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Sun City West, Arizona was $64,305, up 3% from $62,412 in 2022. The Arizona median that year was $77,075.
What was the median household income in Sun City West in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Sun City West, Arizona was $56,103. By 2024 it had risen 14% to $64,178.
Is it hard to find a job in Sun City West, Arizona?
Unemployment in Sun City West, Arizona is only 3.7%, well below the Arizona rate of 5.1%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Sun City West, Arizona?
The Gini coefficient in Sun City West is 0.479. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Sun City West, Arizona?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Sun City West, Arizona has widened from about 34% to 41% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 41% in 2022, and was narrowest at 11% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $22,498 since 2009.
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