Most Americans have never been to small town Arizona. However, as the Arizonan who live there know, small town Arizona is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Arizona has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Grand Canyon State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 108 of Arizona’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Arizona where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Arizona for 2025:
- Casa Blanca
- Quartzsite
- Lukachukai
- Cibecue
- Kaibito
- Whiteriver
- Leupp
- Second Mesa
- Pinon
- Canyon Day
So what is the worst small town to call home in Arizona for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Casa Blanca is the worst small town to live in Arizona.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Casa Blanca home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Arizona or the worst places to live in Arizona.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Arizona For 2025
1. Casa Blanca
/10
Population: 1,382
Median Home Value: $85,500
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 9.6%
2. Quartzsite
/10
Population: 1,805
Median Home Value: $72,800
Median Income: $24,359
Unemployment Rate: 55.1%
3. Lukachukai
/10
Population: 1,876
Median Home Value: $48,200
Median Income: $34,191
Unemployment Rate: 18.8%
4. Cibecue
/10
Population: 2,300
Median Home Value: $55,000
Median Income: $21,629
Unemployment Rate: 8.9%
5. Kaibito
/10
Population: 1,679
Median Home Value: $57,300
Median Income: $47,692
Unemployment Rate: 15.3%
6. Whiteriver
/10
Population: 4,308
Median Home Value: $57,000
Median Income: $38,205
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%
7. Leupp
/10
Population: 1,027
Median Home Value: $52,700
Median Income: $49,833
Unemployment Rate: 15.3%
8. Second Mesa
/10
Population: 1,206
Median Home Value: $77,200
Median Income: $42,778
Unemployment Rate: 24.4%
9. Pinon
Population: 1,183
Median Home Value: $105,900
Median Income: $42,847
Unemployment Rate: 26.9%
10. Canyon Day
/10
Population: 1,426
Median Home Value: $85,000
Median Income: $36,563
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Arizona is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Arizona, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 108 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Arizona.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Arizona
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Grand Canyon State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Arizona are Casa Blanca, Quartzsite, Lukachukai, Cibecue, Kaibito, Whiteriver, Leupp, Second Mesa, Pinon, and Canyon Day.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Arizona, according to science:
- Kachina Village (Pop. 3,212)
- Fort Valley (Pop. 1,803)
- Rio Verde (Pop. 2,271)
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Arizona
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casa Blanca | 1,382 | 9.6% | $85,500 | $1,000 |
| 2 | Quartzsite | 1,805 | 55.1% | $72,800 | $24,359 |
| 3 | Lukachukai | 1,876 | 18.8% | $48,200 | $34,191 |
| 4 | Cibecue | 2,300 | 8.9% | $55,000 | $21,629 |
| 5 | Kaibito | 1,679 | 15.3% | $57,300 | $47,692 |
| 6 | Whiteriver | 4,308 | 9.7% | $57,000 | $38,205 |
| 7 | Leupp | 1,027 | 15.3% | $52,700 | $49,833 |
| 8 | Second Mesa | 1,206 | 24.4% | $77,200 | $42,778 |
| 9 | Pinon | 1,183 | 26.9% | $105,900 | $42,847 |
| 10 | Canyon Day | 1,426 | 7.3% | $85,000 | $36,563 |
| 11 | Peach Springs | 1,196 | 22.8% | $1,000 | $49,286 |
| 12 | Shongopovi | 1,131 | 30.7% | $76,200 | $32,708 |
| 13 | Bylas | 1,750 | 16.8% | $35,700 | $32,214 |
| 14 | Chinle | 4,395 | 14.6% | $38,000 | $46,458 |
| 15 | Dilkon | 1,267 | 6.2% | $77,500 | $38,452 |
| 16 | Sacaton | 2,999 | 18.4% | $102,700 | $1,000 |
| 17 | Summit | 4,410 | 25.7% | $151,000 | $43,484 |
| 18 | Blackwater | 2,245 | 6.1% | $214,900 | $1,000 |
| 19 | Dolan Springs | 1,354 | 5.5% | $91,500 | $30,795 |
| 20 | Peridot | 1,141 | 16.3% | $59,700 | $44,083 |
| 21 | Ak-Chin Village | 1,133 | 14.1% | $143,800 | $48,750 |
| 22 | Pirtleville | 1,869 | 18.0% | $75,500 | $49,022 |
| 23 | Sells | 2,200 | 16.3% | $1,000 | $34,138 |
| 24 | Gila Bend | 1,871 | 0.0% | $120,400 | $49,786 |
| 25 | Avenue B And C | 3,831 | 24.4% | $1,000 | $40,554 |
| 26 | South Tucson | 4,601 | 9.8% | $152,300 | $33,734 |
| 27 | San Carlos | 4,769 | 18.6% | $67,700 | $50,814 |
| 28 | Tsaile | 1,667 | 2.8% | $43,900 | $40,500 |
| 29 | Scenic | 1,931 | 13.5% | $223,900 | $32,629 |
| 30 | Miami | 1,436 | 21.2% | $74,600 | $44,286 |
| 31 | Wilhoit | 1,027 | 6.6% | $201,600 | $48,542 |
| 32 | Moenkopi | 1,028 | 12.7% | $76,200 | $49,635 |
| 33 | Window Rock | 2,384 | 8.9% | $82,700 | $44,918 |
| 34 | Naco | 1,176 | 5.7% | $75,800 | $49,750 |
| 35 | First Mesa | 1,381 | 5.4% | $57,100 | $53,173 |
| 36 | Meadview | 1,624 | 29.0% | $152,400 | $57,064 |
| 37 | Spring Valley | 1,610 | 1.9% | $168,400 | $42,721 |
| 38 | Lechee | 1,307 | 6.8% | $92,600 | $65,486 |
| 39 | White Mountain Lake | 2,678 | 6.7% | $163,700 | $47,661 |
| 40 | Fort Defiance | 3,614 | 10.5% | $37,800 | $56,250 |
| 41 | Colorado City | 2,598 | 5.2% | $1,000 | $75,234 |
| 42 | Mammoth | 1,015 | 13.9% | $98,200 | $46,719 |
| 43 | Duncan | 1,063 | 4.6% | $159,200 | $38,750 |
| 44 | Willcox | 3,236 | 13.0% | $155,000 | $40,750 |
| 45 | San Manuel | 3,269 | 4.4% | $112,600 | $48,333 |
| 46 | Fredonia | 1,084 | 9.9% | $263,400 | $60,476 |
| 47 | North Fork | 1,454 | 4.4% | $88,100 | $89,700 |
| 48 | Beaver Dam | 1,590 | 0.0% | $1,000 | $47,256 |
| 49 | Huachuca City | 1,808 | 12.2% | $124,800 | $47,621 |
| 50 | Lake Of The Woods | 3,227 | 13.4% | $208,800 | $55,531 |
| 51 | Cienega Springs | 1,640 | 5.8% | $177,300 | $45,871 |
| 52 | Central Heights-Midland City | 2,678 | 13.3% | $123,400 | $75,347 |
| 53 | Claypool | 1,134 | 5.8% | $113,600 | $54,010 |
| 54 | Ajo | 3,783 | 6.9% | $126,400 | $56,364 |
| 55 | Bouse | 1,119 | 4.8% | $123,900 | $38,242 |
| 56 | Wellton | 2,470 | 0.9% | $82,900 | $51,938 |
| 57 | Whetstone | 2,840 | 8.6% | $200,600 | $51,050 |
| 58 | Heber-Overgaard | 3,216 | 17.7% | $281,600 | $56,667 |
| 59 | Bisbee | 4,963 | 10.1% | $209,600 | $46,689 |
| 60 | Holbrook | 4,834 | 4.4% | $138,600 | $61,979 |
| 61 | Williams | 3,322 | 5.1% | $457,500 | $66,183 |
| 62 | Superior | 2,470 | 7.1% | $136,700 | $42,050 |
| 63 | Springerville | 1,847 | 1.1% | $184,100 | $49,886 |
| 64 | Black Canyon City | 2,297 | 6.1% | $286,900 | $69,718 |
| 65 | Mesa Del Caballo | 1,188 | 11.8% | $236,100 | $55,833 |
| 66 | Grand Canyon Village | 1,667 | 1.4% | $1,000 | $69,674 |
| 67 | Valle Vista | 2,376 | 9.1% | $233,300 | $46,690 |
| 68 | Tonto Basin | 1,593 | 0.0% | $253,400 | $50,871 |
| 69 | Parker | 3,379 | 5.6% | $253,300 | $74,643 |
| 70 | Mohave Valley | 2,585 | 9.1% | $236,900 | $77,547 |
| 71 | Dewey-Humboldt | 4,428 | 8.6% | $411,300 | $64,183 |
| 72 | Taylor | 4,091 | 2.6% | $289,600 | $69,945 |
| 73 | Cordes Lakes | 3,218 | 5.3% | $153,600 | $55,691 |
| 74 | Joseph City | 1,995 | 6.2% | $174,800 | $75,907 |
| 75 | Swift Trail Junction | 2,889 | 0.0% | $184,000 | $58,105 |
| 76 | Star Valley | 2,517 | 2.9% | $1,000 | $66,075 |
| 77 | Pinetop-Lakeside | 4,103 | 5.9% | $332,200 | $52,207 |
| 78 | Cactus Flats | 1,550 | 10.7% | $288,600 | $75,160 |
| 79 | Tombstone | 1,022 | 0.7% | $150,500 | $54,792 |
| 80 | Red Rock Cdp (Pinal County) | 3,243 | 6.6% | $252,500 | $79,167 |
| 81 | Clarkdale | 4,642 | 1.1% | $344,800 | $32,607 |
| 82 | Cornville | 3,356 | 5.6% | $352,200 | $70,925 |
| 83 | Congress | 1,700 | 0.0% | $247,800 | $62,083 |
| 84 | Kearny | 2,245 | 3.7% | $125,700 | $49,688 |
| 85 | Clifton | 3,845 | 1.4% | $66,000 | $84,457 |
| 86 | Oracle | 3,154 | 3.8% | $209,000 | $66,729 |
| 87 | Paulden | 4,874 | 3.7% | $344,200 | $88,945 |
| 88 | Pine | 1,899 | 0.0% | $416,800 | $61,964 |
| 89 | St. David | 1,112 | 0.0% | $121,000 | $45,417 |
| 90 | Mescal | 1,601 | 0.0% | $182,900 | $52,465 |
| 91 | Golden Shores | 1,319 | 0.0% | $206,800 | $60,927 |
| 92 | Wagon Wheel | 1,767 | 8.0% | $258,800 | $55,506 |
| 93 | Lake Montezuma | 4,615 | 2.5% | $291,900 | $54,081 |
| 94 | Tubac | 1,247 | 6.3% | $481,800 | $82,273 |
| 95 | Linden | 2,299 | 1.4% | $398,600 | $91,378 |
| 96 | St. Johns | 3,409 | 2.1% | $180,900 | $128,920 |
| 97 | Desert Hills | 2,910 | 6.5% | $239,200 | $68,523 |
| 98 | Bagdad | 2,757 | 2.9% | $1,000 | $98,641 |
| 99 | Eagar | 4,410 | 2.1% | $231,100 | $81,667 |
| 100 | Pinetop Country Club | 1,915 | 6.2% | $412,100 | $77,064 |