A town of 16,622, settled in 1973. Nearly 31.5% of it is conserved land.
The 3 things Payson does most differently from other towns.
Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Payson. Another town gets a different order.
About one in 3 of Payson’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Phoenix (20%), Mesa (5%) and Scottsdale (5%). Half commute less than 62 miles.
13 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rumsey Park | 1.1 mi | 85 |
| 2. Green Valley Park | 0.3 mi | 38 |
| 3. Payson Rodeo Grounds | — | 23 |
Payson beats the Arizona average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
| What stands out | Payson | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.1% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 12% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 6.6% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 28% of U.S. communities.
Payson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 67% report less.
Payson has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
The typical Payson home is worth about $445,000, down 0.7% in a year, 6% above the Arizona typical home.
The public schools Payson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 50% of Arizona’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Randall Elementary School | 2–5 | 503 | B− |
| Payson Elementary School | K–2 | 430 | Not graded |
| Payson Community Christian School Private | PK–8 | 183 | |
| Rim Country Middle School | 6–8 | 478 | B− |
| Payson High School | 9–12 | 733 | B− |
| NAVIT - Gila Community College | 9–12 | — | Not graded |
18 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.
Town in Gila County, Arizona
Payson (Navajo: Ndzistsooí) is a town in northern Gila County, Arizona, United States. Due to Payson's location being very near to the geographic center of Arizona, it has been called "The Heart of Arizona." Payson is also considered part of the colloquially defined Northern Arizona region, and the town serves as a gateway to the vast wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The town is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, the largest of the six national forests in Arizona—and the ninth largest national forest in the United States. Payson boasts a lively festival calendar, including The World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo established in 1884, as well as the Arizona State Old Time Fiddlin' Champi…
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One town shares a border with Payson.