Arizona · 52nd largest metro area

Buying a home in Tucson, Arizona

In Tucson, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $266,200, Pima County's effective property tax rate is 0.71%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,339 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,145 a month.

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

Tucson home costs, fact by fact

About Tucson

Tucson is the center of the Tucson, AZ metro area, ranked 52nd among US metro areas. Owners live in 51.8% of homes, and median gross rent is $1,145 per month.

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.

Sectors of Tucson

Tucson is divided into the ten most populous of 154 registered neighborhood associations, one open spot per trade in each.

Source: City of Tucson GIS, Neighborhood Associations. Population per area is a Payotte estimate: the sum of Census ACS 2020-2024 populations (table B01003) of the 2020 census tracts whose internal point lies inside each official boundary. These areas do not cover the whole city.

Questions about buying a home in Tucson

How much is property tax in Tucson?

Homeowners in Pima County pay a median $2,272 a year in property tax, 0.71% of the county median home value of $319,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Tucson?

Home-purchase mortgages in Pima County carried median total loan costs of $7,339 in 2025; half of the 10,154 loans fell between $4,919 and $11,608 (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 Tucson?

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 Tucson?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Tucson ($266,200) equals 19.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,145 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Tucson?

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 Tucson

Other large cities in Arizona

Who licenses each trade in Arizona · All covered cities

Sources

Arizona · All states · Federal guides