ZIP Code 85616 — Whetstone CDP, AZ Demographics & Data

ZIP code 85616 covers Whetstone, AZ in Cochise County with a population of about 4,845.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 45.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 520; U.S. House district AZ-6; the TUCSON (SIERRA VISTA) media market.

Whetstone, AZ reads as a military / base-oriented community on US5’s intent model (elevated veteran share (27.9%) and/or base-related place names). Service members and families often look up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, on-base mail (PSC / P.O. Box) addresses, and nearby ZIP demographics when relocating.

US5 shows 2026 DoD BAH locality rates for this ZIP’s Military Housing Area on this page (pay grade × with/without dependents). Treat the table as a planning reference and confirm entitlement with your finance office or the official DTMO BAH lookup.

Median household income in ZIP 85616 is about $50,515 — about 33% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 25.8%; unemployment rate near 9.2%; 25.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 8.0 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Public administration, Retail trade, and Construction; about 4.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.2 points below 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 $157,600 — about 55% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $753 (about 35% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 72.0% (about 6.6 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 85616 in Whetstone, AZ, a household would need roughly $43,000 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 $1,012. That sits below the local median household income ($50,515), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. 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 Whetstone CDP, AZ as Relatively Moderate (composite score 92.8), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (99.2) and flood (93.8). 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 Whetstone CDP, AZ show little to no average snow and around 14.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 163 for ZIP 85616 (Whetstone 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.