Is $85,000 a good salary in Arizona?

$85,000 in Arizona provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,527 after taxes. Across major Arizona cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $2,999.

What is the cost of living on $85,000 in Arizona?

The average monthly living cost across major Arizona cities is approximately $2,528 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $85,000 take-home pay of $5,527/month, you would have roughly $2,999/month remaining.

Living in Arizona · 2026

Is $85,000 enough to live in Arizona?

Single adult · AZ · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,527

Avg monthly expenses

$2,528

Avg monthly surplus

$2,999

Savings potential

~54%

After-tax take-home in Arizona

Gross salary$85,000

Federal income tax− $10,054

State income tax− $2,125

Social Security− $5,270

Medicare− $1,233

Annual take-home$66,318

Effective tax rate21.98%

How $85,000 feels in Arizona cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Phoenix

COL index: 1.12× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,450

Food

$449

Transport

$196

Utilities

$185

Healthcare

$224

Total: $2,504/mo

Surplus: $3,023/mo

Rent burden: 26.2% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Phoenix analysis →

Tucson

COL index: 0.94× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,100

Food

$409

Transport

$165

Utilities

$155

Healthcare

$188

Total: $2,017/mo

Surplus: $3,510/mo

Rent burden: 19.9% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Tucson analysis →

Mesa

COL index: 1.09× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$440

Transport

$191

Utilities

$180

Healthcare

$218

Total: $2,429/mo

Surplus: $3,098/mo

Rent burden: 25.3% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Mesa analysis →

Chandler

COL index: 1.14× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,520

Food

$462

Transport

$199

Utilities

$188

Healthcare

$228

Total: $2,597/mo

Surplus: $2,930/mo

Rent burden: 27.5% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Chandler analysis →

Scottsdale

COL index: 1.31× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,850

Food

$519

Transport

$229

Utilities

$216

Healthcare

$262

Total: $3,076/mo

Surplus: $2,451/mo

Rent burden: 33.5% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Scottsdale analysis →

Tempe

COL index: 1.12× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,480

Food

$458

Transport

$196

Utilities

$185

Healthcare

$224

Total: $2,543/mo

Surplus: $2,984/mo

Rent burden: 26.8% — Manageable (25–35%)

Full Tempe analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,527 ($66,324/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,764

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,658

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,105

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$33,162

Wants / year

$19,897

Savings / year

$13,265

Salary Intelligence

Moderate salary in Phoenix

Rent takes 26% of take-home income, which is above the ideal 25% but still manageable. Savings will be limited; consider lower-cost housing to improve your financial position.

Lifestyle score: 7/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $85,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Phoenix, Arizona, with approximately $3,023/month (~55% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Phoenix's above-average cost of living (index: 1.12) means $85,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $75,893 in an average-cost US city, or $89,554 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$85,000 is 103% above the Arizona individual median of $41,900 and 52% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$41,900

+103%

State household median

$70,821

+20%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$85,000 vs. Arizona income benchmarks

Individual median (Arizona)

$41,900

+103% vs. this salary

Household median (Arizona)

$70,821

+20% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Arizona

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.