What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Tempe, AZ, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, with an estimated population of 190,114. It anchors the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area. The population grew 1.3% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Tempe is $468,328 as of 2026-04, down 1.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.8% annual growth (-7.2% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Tempe average $1,661 per month, down 1.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 55 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-1.5% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- Net positive migration: population up 1.3% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
- The data is the data: Tempe has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.
Things to know first
- Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.
- Local nuance (school zones, neighborhood quality) varies block by block — visit before deciding.
More about Tempe
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.