PlainZIP

Rio Rico, AZ · standard

ZIP Code 85648

Santa Cruz County, Arizona - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

19,080
47/sq mi
$61,519
Median income
$224,900
Median home value
22.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Rio Rico pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

32th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 49%
home value, US ZIPs
47
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 85648 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 85648 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, home to 19,080 residents across 406.8 square miles, a density of 47 people per square mile, in the Phoenix time zone.

ZIP 85648 reports a modest median household income of $61,519 (15% below the Arizona average), while per-capita income is $26,213. Poverty here runs at 16.5%, with unemployment measured at 10.5%. On housing, the median home value is $224,900 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $1,091 per month, and 85.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.7, and the average commute is 28 minutes. Beyond these figures, 3 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Santa Cruz County, letting you compare 85648 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 85648

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rio Rico, AZ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 85648.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 85648, Rio Rico, AZ · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

19,080

Population

406.8

Area (sq mi)

47

People / sq mi

Phoenix

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 85648?

34.7

Median Age

49.2%

Male

50.8%

Female

31.8%

Foreign-Born

White 25.5%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 61.1%
Hispanic or Latino 87.0%

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?

$61,519

Median Household Income

-15% vs state

$26,213

Per Capita Income

16.5%

Poverty Rate

10.5%

Unemployment Rate

28.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 85648 ranks nationally

Rio Rico, AZ household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$61,519 32nd percentile higher than 32% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 50.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

7,604

Total Housing Units

7,240

Occupied Units

364

Vacant Units

3.05

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 85.1%
Renter 14.9%

$224,900

Median Home Value

-33% vs state

$1,091

Median Rent

2000

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

+3.8%

YoY Change (2024)

226

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+126%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 85648 have increased 3.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +4.0% 149
2021 +19.2% 177
2022 +18.7% 210
2023 +3.3% 217
2024 +3.8% 226

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 251 business establishments in ZIP 85648, employing approximately 2,360 people with a combined annual payroll of $113,354,000.

251

Businesses

2,360

Employees

$113.4M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Wholesale trade 87 34.7%
Transportation and warehousing 44 17.5%
Construction 29 11.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 17 6.8%
Retail trade 13 5.2%
Accommodation and food services 13 5.2%
Manufacturing 7 2.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 7 2.8%
Other services (except public administration) 7 2.8%
Health care and social assistance 6 2.4%
Finance and insurance 5 2.0%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 4 1.6%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 3 1.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 1.2%

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 85648 vs 85621 →

ZIP 85648 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 85648 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 85648 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 85648 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
85621 Nogales, AZ 23,054 4.4 mi
85640 Tumacacori, AZ 441 5.2 mi
85646 Tubac, AZ 1,311 8.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Santa Cruz County

85621 standard
Nogales, AZ
Pop: 23,054
85624 standard
Patagonia, AZ
Pop: 1,426
85646 standard
Tubac, AZ
Pop: 1,311
85637 standard
Sonoita, AZ
Pop: 1,268
85611 standard
Elgin, AZ
Pop: 965
85640 standard
Tumacacori, AZ
Pop: 441

Related Areas

Santa Cruz County Rio Rico, AZ Arizona

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 85648 in? ▼
ZIP code 85648 (Rio Rico) is located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Santa Cruz County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/santa-cruz-az.
What is the population of ZIP code 85648? ▼
ZIP code 85648 in Rio Rico, AZ has a population of 19,080 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 85648? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 85648 is $61,519, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 85648? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 85648 is $224,900, which is 19% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 85648? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 85648 is Two or More Ethnicities at 61.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 87.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 85648? ▼
ZIP code 85648 has 251 business establishments employing approximately 2,360 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 85648? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 85648 are: Wholesale trade (87), Transportation and warehousing (44), Construction (29). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 85648? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 85648 increased by 3.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 126%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 85648? ▼
In ZIP code 85648, 50.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 85648? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 85648 is 28.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 85648? ▼
In ZIP code 85648, approximately 85.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 85648? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 85648 is 16.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.