Cottonwood, AZ | Cottonwood, Arizona

     Cottonwood, Arizona was founded in 1879 and was named for a circle of Cottonwood trees near the Verde River. Cottonwood began as a collection of farms and ranches which slowly blossomed into a township, while supplying the minThe town of Cottonwood is bordered to the West by Mingus Mountain and the Verde River to the East.  Many farms and ranches exist along the rich flood plains of the Verde River.ers in the nearby town of Jerome with fresh meat and vegetables. 
     Cottonwood and Jerome’s relationship continued to grow, and several of the mining facilities were located in Cottonwood, though the majority were in the Town of Clarkdale. Several bones of these old building remain along HWY 89A, with a handful currently in use as retail space. 
     A large slag pile still remains in the heart of Cottonwood, a remnant of mining operations which ceased operation in the 50’s after the price of copper fell, and the mines were no longer profitable. A reclamation company is currently applying for the necessary permits to remove the pile and reclaim remnant minerals while recycling the waste into materials to be used in future roads and roofing shingles.
     While Jerome became a literal ghost town in the late 1950’s, after the steep decline in the price of copper, residents of Cottonwood pursued a future for their town and incorporated in 1960. At this time, all business in town was conducted in Old Town Cottonwood, because that WAS town!
     A developer named Ned Warren came through the area, later that decade and put Cottonwood and the Verde Valley on the map as a retirement and “investment” destination, with the development of Verde Village, and other area subdivisions. Ned Warren is also the fella that called national attention to Arizona, as Warren was “The King Of Land Fraud,” selling hundreds of parcels over and over again to the same individuals.  
     Today, Verde Village is a healthy, thriving neighborhood and Verde Village is wherOld town Cottonwood.  A recent influx of restaurants and galleries are breathing new life back into Old Town Cottonwood, making it a destination for locals and tourists alike once again.e approximately half of Cottonwood’s “population” resides (Verde Village is unincorporated) , though new in-fill subdivisions are rapidly gaining new residents. Verde Village is about 95% built out.
      Cottonwood is undoubtedly the commercial center of the Verde Valley, and acts as a central hub for all Verde Valley communities. All “Big Box” stores in the Verde Valley are located in the City of Cottonwood, such as Office Max, Sears, Super Walmart, JCPenney and Home Depot.                                                  
     Most newcomers might be surprised to learn that about half of these stores were only built in the last 5 to 7 years. In fact, when I first moved to Cottonwood in 1997, it took six weeks just to get a phone line. I remember my inner New Yorker getting a little perturbed at the operator, when she finally just said,” Look Ma’am. You are just going to have to wait until somebody dies, or disconnects to get your line connected. There just ain’t any left!” Q-west has since come through and upgraded the capacity of the lines in the area and much of the community itself is following suit.
     Recent grants have revamped the look and feel of Old Town. The addition of lighting, landscaping, outdoor seating and upgrades and improvements to sidewalks have revitalized this historic city center. Currently, Hwy 260 and 89A, two of Cottonwood’s major roadways are undergoing widening projects, which will also include a series of roundabouts along select sections of roadway. 
     Verde Valley Medical Center is located in the City of Cottonwood and serves the major medical needs of all Verde Valley residents. VVMC has also been busy expanding and upgrading, with the recent completion of a 40,000 sq ft facility and a 20,000 sq ft oncology wing. During this expansion, VVMC also upgraded essential equipment within existing facilities. VVMC is one of the Verde VGeese and ducks are long established residents of the Verde Village Pond in Cottonwood AZ. alley’s major employers and has an insatiable appetite for qualified medical personnel.
     Cottonwood and the entire Verde Valley are undergoing what a recent Wall Street Journal article called the “Gentrification of Rural America,” reporting on an increasing trend among affluent Americans leaving cities and suburbs in droves in search for a slower place, in calmer and aesthetically pleasing locations. 
     Evidence of this trend in Cottonwood in recent years includes the opening of Alcantara Vineyards, Cottonwood’s first winery and a small boom of new bistros, restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries.   An explosion of high end and luxury homes has also occurred throughout the community in recent years.  

 


Move to Cottonwood AZ

Population

Total population 24,896
Male population 12,030
Female population 12,866
Median age 47.80
Median age (male) 44.00
Median age (female) 53.70

Marital status (Number of people who have the following marital status)

Never married 5,252
Married 10,079
Separated 371
Widowed 1,762
Divorced 4,024

Population by age

Under 15 3,779
Age 15 to 24 2,420
Ages 25 to 44 5,752
Ages 45 to 64 6,045
Age 65 and over 6,900

Population mobility

Live in the same house as 1 year ago 20,530
Moved from abroad 27
Moved from a different state 874
Moved from the same county 2,219
Moved from the same state 1,040

Population by poverty level

Above poverty level 20,418
Below poverty level (daily income under $1.90/day) 4,011

Employment

White collar 8,519
Blue collar 2,396

Class of worker

Self employed 1,943
Private company 6,761
Not for profit company 936
Government workers 1,275

Households

Total households 11,417
Family households 5,875
Non-family households 5,542
Households with children 2,372
Households without children 9,045
Average people per household 2.16

Education (Number of people who have achieved the following levels of education)

No high school 721
Some high school 7,361
Some college 7,252
Associate degree 1,437
Bachelors degree 2,755
Graduate degree 1,542

Income/Financial

Average household income $60,212
Median household income $46,069
Median income under 25 $56,435
Median income 25-44 $64,595
Median income 45-64 $58,378
Median income over 65 $31,686

Housing occupancy

Housing units 11,979
Occupied housing units 11,417
Owner occupied units 7,054
Renter occupied units 4,363
Median housing costs per month $951
Median gross rent per month $967

Housing by year built

Year built median 1990
Built before 1939 175
Built between 1940 and 1949 154
Built between 1950 and 1959 147
Built between 1960 and 1969 350
Built between 1970 and 1979 2,379
Built between 1980 and 1989 2,924
Built between 1990 and 1999 3,342
Built between 2000 and 2009 1,836
Built after 2010 672

Housing mortgage situation

Houses with mortgage 4,209
Houses without mortgage 2,845
Median value with mortgage $248,300
Median value without mortgage $205,100
Demographic data shown in this section was gathered from the 2021 American Community Survey and is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. No representation, guarantee or warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information modified or aggregated for specific neighborhoods and/or zip codes.