Sonoita, Arizona Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 663, Sonoita'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

Sonoita is a small community located in Arizona, within Santa Cruz County. The total population is 663. It ranks as the 244th most populous out of 441 Census-designated places in Arizona.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sonoita is 66.0 years. This is 69% higher than the state median of 39.0 years. Only 8.9% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 29.0% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sonoita is $119,792. This is 50% higher than the state median of $79,964. It is also 48% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Sonoita. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 21.8%. This is 328% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $460,300. Housing costs are 17% higher than the state median of $394,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 48% higher than the state average of 67.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Sonoita has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 87.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 11.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (87.0% vs 52.6%). The Hispanic or Latino population (11.8%) is well below the state average of 31.4%.

Education

49.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Sonoita in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 49% higher 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 93.0%. Notably, 24.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sonoita, 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.