Places › Arizona › San Luis

Living in San Luis, AZ

Small city in Arizona

San Luis is a small city in Arizona, home to about 36,000 people, with 184,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is San Luis a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $236k and rents for $1,890 a month
  • Low taxes: about $755 state income tax per resident, 0.65% property tax

👎 Cons

  • Fewer graduates: 9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Hot summers: highs around 105°F
  • Smaller job market: about 184,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how San Luis ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
36,000
184,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
70°F / 105°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$236k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,890/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
93
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$755
State income tax per resident · 0.65% property tax
Safety
0.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
0 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 32 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
9%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PSP
138 mi away

Living in San Luis: common questions

What is the cost of living in San Luis?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $236k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,890 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in San Luis?

Arizona collects about $755 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.65% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is San Luis safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in San Luis?

Public schools in San Luis test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 32 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in San Luis?

San Luis is warm all year: winter days average around 70°F and summer days around 105°F.

Does San Luis get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from earthquakes, flooding and heat waves: 0 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.79 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to San Luis?

The nearest major airport is PSP, about 138 mi away.

How San Luis scores

Each bar compares San Luis with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateWarm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesExcellent
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcarePoor
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersPoor
✈️AirportAverage

Places like San Luis

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Del Rio, TXSmall city36 $247k$1,450/moVery safe Kingman, AZSmall city41 $271k$1,900/moSafe Socorro, TXSuburb52 $213k$1,630/moVery safe Alamogordo, NMSmall city44 $209k$1,830/moSafe Carlsbad, NMSmall city47 $291k$1,900/moNo crime data Hobbs, NMSmall city44 $250k$1,770/moNo crime data

Nearby

Yuma, AZSmall city · 15 mi away49 $284k$1,890/moSafe Fortuna Foothills, AZSmall city · 22 mi away38 $204k$1,890/moNo crime data Calexico, CASmall city · 47 mi away35 $384k$1,850/moVery safe El Centro, CASmall city · 53 mi away39 $377k$1,850/moSafe Brawley, CASmall city · 58 mi away43 $349k$1,850/moSafe

See all the best places to live in Arizona.

Is San Luis right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.