The Town Files

Hayden, Arizona

Town in Gila County · population 512 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Map: where Hayden is in ArizonaHayden
Household income
$29,722
Jan low / Jul high
31° / 99°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
50.1

Hayden is a town of 512 people in Gila County, Arizona. It ranks hipper than 97% of Arizona towns, quieter than 75% of Arizona towns, more walkable than 71% of Arizona towns.

How Hayden ranks

Percentile among Arizona towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arizona towns.

Hayden lifestyle rankings vs other Arizona townsRetirement51st pctFamilies18th pctQuiet75th pctWalkability71st pctFirst-time buyers66th pctYoung professionals26th pctVibrancy33rd pctHip & trendy97th pctCollege town39th pctUpscale12th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving11th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

84.0% of households own their home.

Hayden vs Gila County vs typical Arizona townHaydenGila CountyTypical Arizona townHousehold income$29,722$61,986$60,835
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Arizona towns with 500+ people.
HousingHaydenTypical Arizona town
Median home value—$248,600
Median rent—$1,050
Median household income$29,722$60,835
Home value ÷ income—×4.0×
Homeownership84.0%78.6%
Median year built19471990
Seasonal / vacation homes13.1%—

Who lives in Hayden

PeopleHaydenTypical Arizona town
Median age50.142.5
Age 65 and over26.3%21.8%
Under 1810.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.9%18.1%
Below the poverty line26.9%13.8%
Veterans12.5%—
Born outside the U.S.2.1%—
Work from home3.0%10.2%
Average commute25.8 min24.7 min
Homes with broadband60.4%88.0%

Weather in Hayden

July highs average 98.5°F and January lows 31.4°F. About 13.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Arizona town: 0.2 in). Expect about 137 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 42 nights at or below freezing.

Hayden monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing59°31°Jan63°35°Feb70°39°Mar78°47°Apr88°56°May98°65°Jun99°71°Jul97°70°Aug93°63°Sep82°51°Oct69°39°Nov59°31°DecPrecipitation (in)1.91.71.20.40.50.11.61.81.10.80.91.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the San Carlos Reservoir station (19.6 mi away); snow from Kearny (8.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hayden since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Arizona town. The strongest, an F1, struck on October 23, 1974 about 7.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 23, 1974.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hayden by decade01950s01960s21970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 13, 2023.

Severe weather in Gila County since 1996

Storm events in Gila County since 1996 by typeHail65Flood23Wildfire26High Wind8Lightning9Heavy Rain89Heavy Snow56Debris Flow4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Gila County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 27 deaths recorded.

Gila County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 6, 2021FireFM-5389: Telegraph Fire
August 26, 2020FireFM-5340: Griffin Fire
June 20, 2020FireFM-5313: Bush Fire
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4524: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3442: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Gila County

Gila County had 15,973 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,684 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Hayden itself the ACS puts it at 23.2%.

Largest industries in Gila CountyRetail2,016 jobs · $35,136Hotels & restaurants1,821 jobs · $24,968Health care & social assistan…1,460 jobs · $59,984Manufacturing1,166 jobs · $96,368Professional & technical serv…936 jobs · $61,255Mining, oil & gas848 jobs · $93,528
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Gila County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Gila 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Hayden

Hayden questions

Is Hayden, Arizona a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hayden scores better for retirees than 51% of Arizona towns and quieter than 75%. 26.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.1).

What is the weather like in Hayden?

July highs average 98.5°F and January lows 31.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Hayden get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hayden since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on October 23, 1974. The typical Arizona town has had 1.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hayden's Census boundary (GEOID 0432020). Comparisons use the median of Arizona towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.