ZIP Code 85253 — Paradise Valley, AZ

Seventeen thousand two hundred two people call ZIP code 85253 — Paradise Valley, Arizona — home, within Maricopa County. The area carries a Strong economics label, reflecting a household income and home value profile that place it at a distinct remove from most of the ZIP codes tracked across the country. A walkability score of 0.5 out of 5 means that most errands require a vehicle. What the data make most distinctive about 85253 is the combination of a small residential population and an economic profile that ranks among the most elevated of any ZIP code in the United States.

At a glance: 84.4% homeownership · Step Score 0.5/5 · hot desert climate · hazard risk very high (inland flooding, avalanche, wildfire).

FEMA publishes the National Risk Index by county. The hazard figures below are for Maricopa County, which contains 85253 and is considerably larger than it. The percentiles rank that county against every county in the United States.

All 18 hazards FEMA lists · 14 rated — 3 very high, 2 high, 3 moderate, 1 low, 5 very low · 4 not rated. Event counts follow each hazard's own FEMA definition and are not comparable between rows — lightning is counted in recorded strikes, tornado in recorded tornadoes. The percentile is the comparable figure. FEMA does not rate 4 of them in this county; they are listed rather than omitted, because a hazard absent from the list is indistinguishable from one nobody asked about.

ZIP 85253 carries a Hot Desert climate classification, with an average annual temperature of 73.2°F, summer highs averaging 103.0°F and summer lows of 80.2°F, and winter highs averaging 66.6°F with lows of 44.0°F (recorded at the Scottsdale Municipal Airport station, 6.1 miles away). Precipitation is sparse, totaling 8.7 inches per year across roughly 17 rainy days. Natural hazard risk for Maricopa County, which contains 85253, is rated Very High overall by the FEMA National Risk Index, with the county carrying a near-maximum composite score. Inland flooding is the leading hazard, placing Maricopa County at the 87th percentile nationally among U.S. counties, with 237 recorded events and an average of 8.5 events per year; wildfire risk ranks at the 80th percentile nationally. Landslide risk is rated High, placing the county at the 78th percentile nationally among U.S. counties, with an estimated 2.1 landslide events per year.

The Census Bureau asks race and Hispanic or Latino origin as two separate questions, and a person of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race. The categories above are the constructed mutually exclusive form — each race is “alone, not Hispanic or Latino” — so they sum to 100% and none double-counts another. These are five-year survey estimates, not a census count.

The median age of 54.0 years reflects a predominantly middle-aged and older adult population, and the homeownership rate of 84.4% means the large majority of households own rather than rent their homes. Median household income stands at $182,150, with a per capita income of $135,330, and 70.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate is 5.7% and the unemployment rate is 2.1%, both figures at the low end of what census surveys record. Some 22.6% of workers report working from home, and 15.0% of residents were born outside the United States, while 84.8% speak only English at home.

Incomes, employment and business density score well; affordability is rated separately and is not part of this composite.

Paradise Valley's housing-cost index stands at 90.1 out of 100, and the area carries a label of Very Expensive, with an affordability rating of 0.0 out of 5. The poverty rate is 5.7% and the unemployment rate is 2.1%. At 53.25 businesses per square mile, the local commercial base is anchored by Professional Services (171 establishments), Health Care (164), and Real Estate (135), pointing toward a service-oriented economy. The ZIP's overall economics score is 77.9 out of 100, rated Strong, while the market opportunity label of Strong Service Market aligns with the sector composition — though housing costs place the area beyond the reach of most household budgets, as the 0.0 affordability rating makes plain.

The median home value in ZIP 85253 stands at $3,248,864, roughly 11.58 times the median U.S. ZIP code value of $280,574, and rose 13.8% over the past year. A home value-to-income ratio of 17.84 means that the median home carries a price tag nearly eighteen times annual household income, placing ownership well beyond reach through conventional financing for most households without substantial existing assets. Homeownership nonetheless runs high, with 84.4% of occupied housing units owner-occupied, suggesting that those who do live here have largely already secured ownership rather than renting. The median rent of $2,268 per month sits above the median of $1,797 recorded among the ZIP codes where Zillow publishes a rent index, and the affordability picture overall is characterized as unaffordable by standard cost-burden measures.

These figures change monthly. Follow 85253 to watch value and rent trends update. Track 85253 →

Enrolment splits 6,952 public and 268 private. These are schools located inside the ZIP code — attendance boundaries do not follow ZIP boundaries. The public and private counts come from two federal surveys published on different cycles — NCES Common Core of Data 2024 and NCES Private School Universe Survey 2022 — so they are not a single dated snapshot.

Nine schools are physically located in ZIP code 85253, split between six public and three private institutions. By level, the schools include four elementary schools and two high schools. Total enrollment across all nine schools reaches 7,220 students, with 6,952 enrolled in public schools and 268 in private ones; among the private schools, two are nonsectarian and one has a religious affiliation. Among residents aged 25 and older — a measure of the adult population rather than of the schools themselves — 98.1% hold a high school diploma or higher, and 70.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Paradise Valley Police Department covers essentially this ZIP code.

The Paradise Valley Police Department reported three violent offences and 76 property offences within its jurisdiction in 2025, figures drawn from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting submissions that cover essentially this community. The agency's violent crime rate of 24.0 per 100,000 people compares with the national rate of 329.1 and the Arizona rate of 382.2 for the same period. Its property crime rate of 608.8 per 100,000 sits well below the national figure of 1,551.6 and the Arizona figure of 1,539.8. Of the 76 property offences, larceny accounted for 64 and burglary for 10, while motor vehicle theft stood at 2; no homicides or robberies were recorded. Assault produced a single reported incident across the year.

Ozipedia does not publish modelled crime estimates. The figures above are counts reported by the agency itself; we will not use algorithms or inference to attribute them to a ZIP code, because fair and accurate reporting matters more to us than a number that merely looks precise. Any law-enforcement agency able to supply ZIP-level figures is warmly invited to get in touch — it would directly serve our aim of being the most comprehensive ZIP code resource anywhere. Corrections and data offers are welcome at /corrections.

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Air quality is the one county figure in this chart — the EPA publishes its annual AQI summary by county, so that row describes Maricopa County, which contains 85253. Every other row is measured for this ZIP code.

Chronic-disease measures here run better than the median U.S. ZIP code; the composite is held down by air quality (median AQI 77).

ZIP 85253 carries an OurZip Health Score of 63.0 out of 100, rated Average, driven by a mixed picture across chronic disease, mental health, and air quality. On air quality, EPA data places the median Air Quality Index at 77.0, with only 9.0% of days classified as good — a level residents experience directly throughout the year. CDC PLACES estimates point to several chronic disease rates that sit below the median U.S. ZIP code: the local COPD rate of 5.3% compares with 8.0% at the median ZIP code, and the diabetes rate of 10.2% compares with 12.7%, suggesting meaningfully lower prevalence for both conditions among residents. Mental health indicators also stand out, with frequent mental distress reported by 10.9% of adults against 16.9% at the median U.S. ZIP code, and the depression rate of 17.0% running below the median ZIP code figure of 23.0%; on the other side of the ledger, the cancer prevalence rate of 13.2% exceeds the median U.S. ZIP code rate of 9.4%, a figure worth noting for residents and their care providers.

The EPA publishes its annual air-quality summary by county, so these figures describe Maricopa County, which contains 85253. There is no ZIP-level air-quality measurement to report.

For Maricopa County, which contains 85253, the median Air Quality Index for the year was 77.0, placing it in the EPA's Moderate category. Days classified as Good accounted for 9.0% of the year.

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP 85253 is 20.7 minutes, and 22.6% of residents work from home. For those who do travel to work or run errands locally, the area's Step Score of 0.5 out of 5 indicates that most errands require a vehicle rather than a walk. The walkability composite of 16.3 out of 100 reflects a POI sub-score of 7.7 and a transit sub-score of 6.5, with the strongest of the three components being street connectivity at 37.2 — though even that figure sits toward the lower end of its scale. OpenStreetMap maps 74 transit stops and no rail stations within the ZIP boundary; the leading walkable point-of-interest categories by count are restaurants and cafes, followed by pharmacies and clinics, retail, and grocery locations.

OpenStreetMap records two parks and nature reserves within ZIP 85253: Echo Canyon Recreation Area and Phoenix Mountains Preserve. A single playground is also mapped within the boundary. For daily needs, mapped amenities include three grocery stores, 12 restaurants, four cafes, and four pharmacies. Eight places of worship and two hospitals or clinics are recorded within the ZIP, along with 74 transit stops. Mapped retail and service counts reflect what volunteer contributors have recorded and may not represent every establishment present.

Counts are features mapped in OpenStreetMap inside the ZIP boundary. OpenStreetMap is maintained by volunteers and its coverage is uneven, so a low count can mean little has been mapped here rather than little exists. Something missing or wrong? Tell us.

Residents of ZIP code 85253 are represented in the U.S. Senate by Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, and in the U.S. House of Representatives by David Schweikert of District 1. At the state level, the ZIP falls within the district served by State Senator Carine Werner and State Representatives Matt Gress and Pamela Carter.

According to the Tax Foundation, Arizona levies a state income tax at a top marginal rate of 2.5% and a state sales tax of 5.6%. When the average local sales tax rate of 2.92% is added, the combined sales tax rate for the area comes to 8.52%. In Maricopa County, the effective property tax rate is 0.47%, producing a median annual property tax bill of $1,965.

How much crime is reported in 85253?

The Paradise Valley Police Department, which serves 12,483 people across its full jurisdiction, recorded 3 violent offences and 76 property offences in 2025. Because ZIP 85253 accounts for roughly 138% of that agency's service population, these figures reflect the agency's entire coverage area rather than the ZIP alone. For context, the national violent crime rate is 329.1 per 100,000 people.

What is the median home price in 85253?

The median home value in ZIP 85253 is $3,248,864. The median monthly rent is $2,268, against a median household income of $182,150 per year.

What is the cost of living in 85253?

Housing is the dominant cost factor in 85253, where the median home value stands at $3,248,864 and median rent runs $2,268 per month. Arizona applies a flat state income tax rate of 2.5% on all taxable income, whether filing single or married filing jointly, with no additional brackets.

What are the natural hazards in 85253?

ZIP 85253 carries Very High risk ratings for three hazards: inland flooding, avalanche, and wildfire. Inland flooding ranks at the 87.1st percentile among U.S. ZIP codes, with 237 recorded events and an average of 8.46 events per year; avalanche ranks at the 83.9th percentile; and wildfire ranks at the 80.4th percentile. Residents should factor all three hazards into preparedness planning and insurance decisions.

How walkable is 85253?

ZIP 85253 has a walkability score of 0.5 out of 5, meaning most errands require a vehicle rather than being reachable on foot. The climate is classified as Hot Desert, which can further limit the practicality of walking for daily tasks during warm months.

1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year
2. Zillow Research — ZHVI and ZORI
3. FBI Crime Data Explorer (Uniform Crime Reporting / NIBRS), 2025
4. CDC PLACES
5. U.S. EPA Air Quality System
6. NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
7. FEMA National Risk Index
8. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — Step Score inputs and mapped amenities
9. NCES Common Core of Data 2024 — public schools
10. NCES Private School Universe Survey 2022 — private schools
11. Tax Foundation
12. Congress.gov and OpenStates

Data compiled April 2026. Page last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page traces to a value in the 85253 data payload; where a value was absent, the section it belongs to is not published. Scores prefixed “OurZip” are our own — see how each is calculated.