Rough Rock, Arizona Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 465, Rough Rock's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Rough Rock is a small community located in Arizona, within Apache County. The total population is 465. It ranks as the 285th most populous out of 441 Census-designated places in Arizona.

Age Demographics

The median age in Rough Rock is 44.8 years. This is 15% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Rough Rock is $43,182. This is 46% lower than the state median of $79,964. It is also 47% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 20.9%. This is 67% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.5%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 43% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $43,300. Housing costs are 89% lower than the state median of $394,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.0x, Rough Rock is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 65.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the state average of 67.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Rough Rock is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. The White (non-Hispanic) population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 52.6%.

Education

13.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 59% lower than the state rate of 33.3%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Rough Rock, Arizona is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Arizona state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 441 Census-designated places in Arizona. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.