Cost of Living & Housing in Rim Country & the White Mountains
This region's three high-elevation towns -- Payson, Show Low, and Globe -- all sit meaningfully cooler than the Phoenix low desert, but their housing markets diverge sharply: Globe runs genuinely affordable and consistently priced, while Payson and Show Low both carry real, above-national premiums tied to their retirement and vacation-home draw.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreGlobe: This Region's Consistently Affordable Option
Globe is genuinely affordable and, unusually for this region, consistently priced across sources -- a $290,000 median sold price in May 2026 and a $289,000 listed median in August 2026, backed by a $69,170 median household income notably higher than the border towns documented in this dataset's Southeastern Arizona region. A real, disclosed softening shows in rising average days on market (157, up from 145) even as unit sales ticked up.
Payson: A Real Cost-of-Living Bargain Despite Softening Home Prices
Payson's overall cost of living reads as a genuine bargain relative to both the nation and the rest of Arizona -- a BestPlaces index of 92.4, 7.6% below the U.S. average and 13.2% below the Arizona average, a meaningful differentiator from Cottonwood and Camp Verde in this dataset's Northern Arizona region. Housing itself has been genuinely softening through 2026, though -- a $495,000 median sale price in August, down 3.2% year over year, after an earlier $577,000 snapshot in February.
Show Low: This Region's Priciest, But Best-Resourced, Market
Show Low runs moderately expensive by this region's standards ($475,000-$484,500 median), the highest of the three towns compared here, alongside this region's highest combined sales tax rate (8.43%). That premium buys real, above-average local infrastructure -- Show Low Unified School District (Niche #33 in Arizona) and Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center (4-star CMS rating) both read as the strongest school-and-hospital combination in this region.
Property Tax Runs Consistently Low Across All Three Towns
All three towns share Gila County's or Navajo County's comparatively low effective property tax rate (0.54%), a genuine, shared advantage consistent with Arizona's broadly favorable statewide property-tax structure documented across this dataset's other Arizona regions.
Key takeaways
- Globe is this region's consistently affordable option ($289K-$290K, unusually stable pricing across sources), with a median household income notably higher than the border towns in this dataset's Southeastern Arizona region.
- Payson offers a genuine cost-of-living bargain (BestPlaces index 92.4, below both national and Arizona averages) alongside real, current price softening (down 3.2% YoY as of August 2026).
- Show Low is this region's priciest market ($475K-$484,500) but buys the strongest school-and-hospital combination among the three towns compared here.
- All three towns share a genuinely low, consistent effective property tax rate (0.54%) -- a real, shared advantage across this region.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Rim Country & the White Mountains overview for the complete picture, including every city and town we've researched in the area.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert