Phoenix, AZ · standard
ZIP Code 85021
Maricopa County, Arizona — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 37,743
- 2,167/sq mi
- $59,768
- Median income
- $470,400
- Median home value
- 35.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Phoenix pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.
- 29th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 15%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,167
- people per sq mi
- 39%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 85021 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 85021 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 17.4 square miles in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. The area is home to 37,743 residents, producing a population density of 2,167 people per square mile, and falls within the Phoenix time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 85021 against Arizona and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 85021 sits at $59,768 (18% below the Arizona average), while per-capita income is $38,713. The poverty rate stands at 17.4% and the unemployment rate at 8.0%. On housing, the median home value is $470,400 (39% above the state average) with median rent at $1,313 per month, and 39.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 85021 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 35.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.8, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Maricopa County, so you can benchmark 85021 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 85021
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 85021.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
168 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
132 establishments
- Construction
Construction
97 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
80 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
73 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 85021, Phoenix, AZ · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
37,743
Population
17.4
Area (sq mi)
2,167
People / sq mi
Phoenix
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 85021?
34.8
Median Age
51.0%
Male
49.0%
Female
16.8%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$59,768
Median Household Income
-18% vs state
$38,713
Per Capita Income
17.4%
Poverty Rate
8.0%
Unemployment Rate
28.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 85021 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$59,768 29th percentile higher than 29% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
18,091
Total Housing Units
16,795
Occupied Units
1,296
Vacant Units
2.32
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$470,400
Median Home Value
+39% vs state
$1,313
Median Rent
1977
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+4.9%
YoY Change (2024)
358
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+258%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 85021 have increased 4.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +258% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.9% | 235 |
| 2021 | +19.1% | 279 |
| 2022 | +20.4% | 337 |
| 2023 | +1.4% | 341 |
| 2024 | +4.9% | 358 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 950 business establishments in ZIP 85021, employing approximately 19,533 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,293,984,000.
950
Businesses
19,533
Employees
$1.3B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 168 | 17.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 132 | 13.9% |
| Construction | 97 | 10.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 80 | 8.4% |
| Retail trade | 73 | 7.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 71 | 7.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 68 | 7.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 64 | 6.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 58 | 6.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 3.9% |
| Manufacturing | 31 | 3.3% |
| Educational services | 21 | 2.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13 | 1.4% |
| Information | 13 | 1.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 12 | 1.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 0.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 85021 vs 85051 →
ZIP 85021 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 85029
Phoenix (85029)
43,233 residents
- 85051
Phoenix (85051)
40,375 residents
- 85017
Phoenix (85017)
38,872 residents
- 85021
Phoenix (85021)
37,743 residents
- 85015
Phoenix (85015)
37,644 residents
- 85302
Glendale (85302)
36,909 residents
- 85020
Phoenix (85020)
32,850 residents
- 85023
Phoenix (85023)
31,274 residents
- 85014
Phoenix (85014)
24,782 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 85021 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 85021 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 85012
Phoenix (85012)
$86,620 median income
- 85020
Phoenix (85020)
$83,735 median income
- 85023
Phoenix (85023)
$77,369 median income
- 85013
Phoenix (85013)
$71,966 median income
- 85051
Phoenix (85051)
$69,189 median income
- 85014
Phoenix (85014)
$66,731 median income
- 85302
Glendale (85302)
$65,132 median income
- 85029
Phoenix (85029)
$64,556 median income
- 85021
Phoenix (85021)
$59,768 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 85021 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85051 | Phoenix, AZ | 40,375 | 2.3 mi |
| 85020 | Phoenix, AZ | 32,850 | 2.3 mi |
| 85029 | Phoenix, AZ | 43,233 | 2.6 mi |
| 85015 | Phoenix, AZ | 37,644 | 3.5 mi |
| 85013 | Phoenix, AZ | 19,314 | 3.5 mi |
| 85023 | Phoenix, AZ | 31,274 | 4.9 mi |
| 85012 | Phoenix, AZ | 6,390 | 3.9 mi |
| 85017 | Phoenix, AZ | 38,872 | 3.9 mi |
| 85014 | Phoenix, AZ | 24,782 | 4.2 mi |
| 85302 | Glendale, AZ | 36,909 | 4.9 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Maricopa County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 85021 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 85021? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 85021? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 85021? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 85021? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 85021? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 85021? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 85021? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 85021? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 85021? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 85021? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 85021? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Phoenix, AZ
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
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