Population 4,533 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fort Defiance
Household size in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.70 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.24 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.92 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.42 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −1.28 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Fort Defiance are large by national standards, averaging 3.42 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 4.70, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.2 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.6 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.1 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.0 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.8 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
Fort Defiance is young: half of its residents are under 36.0, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than a quarter of households in Fort Defiance (27.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fort Defiance
Renters in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.9% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.8% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.1% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Fort Defiance rent their homes (36.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Arizona overall (32.6%). Among homeowners, 94.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.9% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −17.2 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.8% of the housing in Fort Defiance, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Fort Defiance are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Arizona as a whole, where the median home dates to 1992.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $624 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $679 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $527 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $868 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$694 | +$606 |
Rent in Fort Defiance runs $868 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 14.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fort Defiance
Bachelor's degrees in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fort Defiance have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.9%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.5% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.8% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.7% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +20.2 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Fort Defiance is close to the national rate: 89.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fort Defiance
| Period | Fort Defiance | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Fort Defiance runs well above the national rate: 13.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fort Defiance compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Defiance | 3.42 | 36.0 | 27.3% | 36.1% | 16.8% | 1981 | $868 | 16.9% | 89.7% | 13.7% |
| Fort Defiance | 3.43 | 35.7 | 27.0% | 19.4% | 10.9% | 1987 | $798 | 4.2% | 85.5% | 19.0% |
| Window Rock | 3.17 | 38.8 | 20.5% | 51.1% | 17.9% | 1987 | $767 | 25.7% | 86.1% | 10.2% |
| Window Rock | 3.41 | 35.9 | 27.0% | 19.5% | 11.3% | 1987 | $782 | 4.2% | 85.3% | 18.7% |
| St. Michaels | 3.42 | 38.0 | 15.6% | 6.5% | 27.2% | 1990 | $759 | 13.1% | 84.4% | 8.7% |
| Sawmill | 3.50 | 35.0 | 22.1% | 7.0% | 30.4% | 1982 | $656 | 5.4% | 75.4% | 30.9% |
| Mexican Springs | 3.43 | 39.7 | 17.3% | 9.2% | 21.5% | 1990 | $680 | 6.7% | 78.4% | 9.8% |
| Yatahey | 3.67 | 36.9 | 29.6% | 8.2% | 16.7% | 1990 | $535 | 4.2% | 76.8% | 7.7% |
| Yah-ta-hey | 4.26 | 34.6 | 32.8% | 7.0% | 16.8% | 1994 | $880 | 6.1% | 77.9% | 5.0% |
| Kinlichee | 3.45 | 28.8 | 25.8% | 18.4% | 30.4% | 1987 | $545 | 11.2% | 79.4% | 8.7% |
| Woodsprings | 3.59 | 28.0 | 24.5% | 23.0% | 27.4% | 1988 | $546 | 9.6% | 78.9% | 10.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Arabi, LA · Fabens, TX · Moose Lake, MN · Mackinaw, IL · Abbottstown, PA · Lakebay, WA · Dundee, NY · Cumberland, WI · Capac, MI · Blue Grass, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fort Defiance. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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