ZIP Code 85553 — Tonto Basin CDP, AZ Demographics & Data

ZIP code 85553 covers Tonto Basin, AZ in Gila County with a population of about 1,629.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 69.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 928; U.S. House district AZ-2; the PHOENIX (PRESCOTT) media market.

Tonto Basin, AZ fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (59.7%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 85553 is about $49,630 — about 34% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 17.6%; unemployment rate near 0.0%; 16.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 17.6 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Administrative support, and Transportation; about 26.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.0 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $253,400 — about 27% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 85.7% (about 20.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 85553 in Tonto Basin, AZ, a household would need roughly $70,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,628. That is about 41% above the local median household income ($49,630), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Tonto Basin CDP, AZ as Relatively Moderate (composite score 90.2), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (99.1) and flood (93.1). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Tonto Basin CDP, AZ show little to no average snow and around 16.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 55 for ZIP 85553 (Tonto Basin CDP, AZ) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.