Arizona · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area

Buying a home in San Tan Valley, Arizona

In San Tan Valley, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $410,100, Pinal County's effective property tax rate is 0.47%, and a purchase mortgage carried a median $9,740 in total loan costs in 2025.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

San Tan Valley home costs, fact by fact

About San Tan Valley

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Pinal County is $1,734, and the county's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 0.47%. 82.2% of homes here are owner-occupied.

Reading the San Tan Valley figures

San Tan Valley is the one covered Arizona city in Pinal County, and it shows on the cost side. Owners report $410,100, below the $427,600 for Arizona and close to Mesa's $408,000, yet rent is $2,085, among the highest in the group and above Surprise ($2,033), above Goodyear ($1,956). Mesa renters pay only $1,620.

Ownership is 82.2%, second after Buckeye's 86%, and far above Tempe's 42.3% or Glendale's 57.2%. A buyer here joins a city of mostly owners, while renters face a median close to Gilbert's $2,110.

Pinal County levies 0.47%, producing a $1,636 yearly bill against a county median value of $349,000, lower than what owners in the city itself report. Its lenders reported a median of $9,740 for 2025 loan costs, from $5,626 at the lower quartile to $13,377 at the upper. HUD's $1,734 is attached to the whole Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area, so it understates what renters here pay, $2,085.

Calculate for Arizona

If you buy

Arizona state transfer tax

Arizona has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$427,600
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Arizona median value of owner-occupied homes, $427,600 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is levied on the price. The $2 fee is flat and already part of the $30 recording fee. Who pays: Section 11-1132 says the recorder collects the $2 before recording but does not say which party pays; it appears in the recorder's charge on the closing statement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Arizona transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Arizona state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in San Tan Valley

How much is property tax in San Tan Valley?

Homeowners in Pinal County pay a median $1,636 a year in property tax, 0.47% of the county median home value of $349,000 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in San Tan Valley?

Home-purchase mortgages in Pinal County carried median total loan costs of $9,740 in 2025; half of the 9,439 loans fell between $5,626 and $13,377 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in San Tan Valley?

Arizona charges no percentage transfer tax on a home sale. The Arizona Constitution bars new transfer taxes and fees, and the only per-sale charge is a $2 fee included in the $30 per instrument county recording fee.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in San Tan Valley?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in San Tan Valley ($410,100) equals 16.4 years of the median gross rent ($2,085 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in San Tan Valley?

Across Arizona, the main hazards for home insurance are extreme heat, flood, expansive soils and fissures. Maricopa County recorded 430 heat-related deaths in 2025, down from 608 in 2024; flood is the hazard standard insurance leaves out, and flood insurance is required only in high-risk zones with a federally backed mortgage.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Arizona rules that apply in San Tan Valley

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Sources

Arizona · All states · Federal guides