Maricopa County, AZ

Among the 12 selected ZIP/ZCTA matches, June 2026 Zillow ZORI—the typical observed asking-rent index—runs from $1,140 to $2,020. Its selected-set median is $1,424, producing an $880 spread, while the Maricopa County ZORI is $1,729. That dispersion makes the practical renter question a trade-off rather than a search for one county figure: does a candidate unit meet the household's budget and bedroom need while offering acceptable current availability? The selected matches were ordered by renter households, so their range is a focused direct-evidence screen, not an estimate of every county ZIP or a ranking of locations.

Keep the three rent measures on separate tracks. Zillow ZORI is a current typical observed asking-rent index. ACS 2024 five-year ZCTA median gross rent, a survey estimate of rents paid, ranges from $1,287 to $1,867 in the selected set; the county ACS figure is $1,708. FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR, an administrative standard rather than an asking rent, ranges from $1,550 to $2,200, versus $1,839 countywide. These series have different timing, unit concepts, and purposes. They can frame separate questions—market asking conditions, reported household rent, and program-standard comparison—but should not be averaged or converted into a single rent level.

Affordability and availability indicators further complicate simple low-to-high rent sorting. County ACS reports 52.6% of renter households paying 30% or more of income toward gross rent and an 8.2% vacancy rate. Across the selected ZCTAs, the burden share ranges from 39.4% to 56.8%, while survey vacancy ranges from 4.3% to 16.8%. ZIP 85251 pairs the selected set's $2,020 ZORI with 16.8% vacancy and a 39.4% burden share; elsewhere, a $1,384 index coincides with a 56.8% burden share. This descriptive contrast does not establish a relationship. Vacancy is not active-listing inventory, a concession measure, or proof of easier approval; use it with burden to identify questions for a current unit search.

The mapping and selection impose real limits. All shown matches have a 100% primary-county residential-address share, but ZIPs can cross county lines and display assignment follows the largest HUD residential-address share. The 12 shown matches are drawn from 110 eligible direct-evidence matches and cover 152,970 renter households; they are not a countywide inventory. Census ZCTAs are statistical areas, not USPS delivery ZIPs. Before acting on a property, confirm the active listing's rent and availability date, bedroom count, lease term, utilities and recurring fees, deposits, income and credit requirements, and the unit-specific terms used for any program or affordability comparison.