85553 ZIP Code — Tonto Basin, AZ

Gila County, Arizona

ZIP code 85553 is located in Tonto Basin, Arizona, within Gila County. It covers approximately 303.30 square miles and serves a population of 1,477 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) — no DST timezone, served by area code 928.

About ZIP code 85553

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $194,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $48,050. 78% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 23% of workers work from home.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 24% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 36%.

Overall, ZIP code 85553 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,477

population

303.30

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT) — no DST

timezone

85553 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 85553

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 85553. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Tonto Basin	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,477
Population density	5 / sq mi
State FIPS	04
County FIPS	007

Geography
Land area	303.30 sq mi
Water area	13.14 sq mi
Latitude	33.7857
Longitude	-111.2947
Timezone	Mountain (MT) — no DST
Area code	928

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	77.9%	52.0%	40.6%
$50k – $100k	17.6%	32.5%	31.9%
$100k – $200k	4.5%	13.1%	21.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	6.4%

Demographics & statistics

1,477

Population

People per sq mi

69.6

Median age

$48,050

Median household income

$28,614

Per capita income

$194,000

Median home value

$402

Median monthly rent

83.5%

Home ownership

16.7%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

1,133

Housing units

8.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

231

65–74

271

120

75–84

141

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	149	10.1%
18 and over	1,328	89.9%
65 and over	896	60.7%
Median age	69.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 98.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,451	98.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	1.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	77.9%	52.0%	40.6%
$50k – $100k	17.6%	32.5%	31.9%
$100k – $200k	4.5%	13.1%	21.1%
Over $200k	0.0%	2.4%	6.4%

Under $10k 4.8%

$10k–$15k 9.3%

$15k–$25k 12.5%

$25k–$35k 12.8%

$35k–$50k 17.6%

$50k–$75k 27.6%

$75k–$100k 5.6%

$100k–$150k 9.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.8%
$10k–$15k	9.3%
$15k–$25k	12.5%
$25k–$35k	12.8%
$35k–$50k	17.6%
$50k–$75k	27.6%
$75k–$100k	5.6%
$100k–$150k	9.8%
Median income	$48,050

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 27.9%

$100k–$150k 8.4%

$150k–$200k 14.4%

$200k–$300k 17.0%

$300k–$500k 25.9%

$1M+ 6.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$194,000
Median rent / month	$402
Owner occupied	83.5%
Renter occupied	16.5%
Vacant	34.1%
Single-family detached	41.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	40.2%
Median rooms	4.2
Avg household size (owned)	1.82

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.1%
2000–2009	45.6%
1990–1999	19.2%
1980–1989	12.9%
1970–1979	17.1%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	0.0%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	2.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	8.1%
1 bedroom	22.2%
2 bedrooms	27.1%
3 bedrooms	42.6%
4 bedrooms	0.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.7%
1 vehicle	31.8%
2 vehicles	41.9%
3 or more	17.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.3%
Electricity	58.1%
Propane / LP gas	30.7%
Fuel oil	2.5%
Wood	3.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	339	40.5%
Cohabiting couple	27	3.2%
Male householder, no spouse	245	29.3%
Female householder, no spouse	226	27.0%
Households with children under 18	68	8.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	585	69.9%
Average household size	1.76

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	10.3%	9.1%
Married	50.1%	55.3%
Separated	6.8%	0.1%
Widowed	10.9%	20.9%
Divorced	21.9%	14.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 22.6%

HS graduate 30.9%

Some college, no degree 29.1%

Associate's degree 6.8%

Bachelor's degree 8.7%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	75.5%
Bachelor's or higher	8.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	19	15.2%
Elementary school	43	34.4%
High school	63	50.4%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.3%

Other services 19.1%

Public administration 18.7%

Construction 17.9%

Transportation & utilities 11.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.4%

Retail trade 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.9%
Service	29.1%
Sales & office	0.4%
Natural resources & construction	27.5%
Production & transportation	11.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.5%
Government	18.7%
Self-employed	0.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.8%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	22.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.2

Poverty

All people 16.7%

Under 18 years 25.5%

18 and over 15.7%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	77.5%
Retirement income	34.8%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.6%
High blood pressure	47.1%
High cholesterol	44.1%
Diabetes	15.7%
Heart disease	12.5%
Stroke	5.7%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	39.1%
Kidney disease	5.2%
Pulmonary disease	13.2%
Cancer	11.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.9%
Binge drinking	11.9%
No physical activity	29.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.8%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	21.5%
Poor mental health	13.5%
Poor physical health	16.3%
No health insurance	13.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.9%
Visited dentist	58.2%
Cholesterol screening	94.6%
Teeth loss	16.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	324	24.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	36.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	37.5%
65 and over	41.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.8%
Public insurance	78.5%
No insurance	4.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,477	100.0%
Spanish	28	1.9%
Other Indo-European	2	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,475	99.9%
Born in same state	1,475	99.9%
Born in different state	472	32.0%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	2	0.1%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	357	24.2%
French	153	10.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	90	6.1%
Polish	26	1.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	56.7%
Internet access	84.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 85553

What city is ZIP code 85553 in?

ZIP code 85553 is primarily assigned to Tonto Basin, Arizona.

What county is ZIP code 85553 in?

ZIP code 85553 falls within Gila County, Arizona.

Does ZIP code 85553 have an older population?

61% of residents in ZIP code 85553 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 85553 have a large retiree population?

78% of households in ZIP code 85553 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 85553?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 85553 have a large veteran population?

24% of civilians in ZIP code 85553 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 85553 in?

ZIP code 85553 observes the MST timezone.