Payson, AZ: Local News, Events & Neighbors

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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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Payson ranks

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#25Shortest commute in AZ #13Rent easiest to afford in AZ #54Most remote workers in AZ All AZ rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code85541, 85547

Area code928

Living in Payson

Housing in Payson

$445K▼ 0.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Payson home is worth about $445,000, down 0.7% in a year, 6% above the Arizona typical home.

A balanced market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market40

Sale-to-list97.8%

Sold in May39

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Payson

C

Safety Grade C

Payson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 67% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Payson 2.8

Arizona 3.8

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Payson 14.1

Arizona 15.4

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Payson

Compared with Arizona

8better than AZ·10worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 14 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits all close Care 4▲ 1▼ 2 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.1%Fewer uninsured adultsAZ 13.2% · better 8.4%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityAZ 12% · better 10.4%More adults with COPDAZ 6.6% · worse

Care nearby

Honorhealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Med CtrScottsdale · 52.6 mi · ER

Elk Ridge - PaysonPayson · 1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · part of Payson

DentalShortage · part of Payson

Mental healthShortage · part of Payson

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Payson · CMS · HRSAHealth in Payson →

Schools in Payson

All Payson schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

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.

See how Payson’s schools compare in AZ →

DistrictPayson Unified District (4209)Schools9

Julia Randall Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades 2–5 · 503 students Payson Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades K–2 · 430 students Payson Community Christian SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 183 students Rim Country Middle School B-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 478 students Payson High School B-High · Grades 9–12 · 733 students NAVIT - Gila Community CollegeHigh · Grades 9–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AZ. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from PaysonWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Payson.Meet them →