Flagstaff, AZ vs Sedona, AZ

At $54,925 per capita income, Flagstaff, AZ and Sedona, AZ show a wide gap in earnings, with Sedona’s figure 57% higher. These 2023 Census figures also reveal a striking difference in population: Flagstaff counts 76,333 residents, while Sedona has 9,770, making Flagstaff 7.8× larger. The median age separates them sharply as well—Flagstaff’s is 26, whereas Sedona’s is 59, a 33.0-year difference that places Flagstaff in the 3rd percentile and Sedona in the 97th.

Work-from-home arrangements and commutes diverge notably. Sedona reports 30.0% of workers telecommuting, 18.0 percentage points higher than Flagstaff’s 12.0%, with Sedona in the 96th percentile for this metric. Conversely, the average commute in Sedona runs 21.8 minutes, 6 minutes longer than Flagstaff’s 15.8 minutes. Healthcare access also differs: Flagstaff scores 91/100 versus Sedona’s 68/100, a 23-point gap, with Flagstaff in the 62nd percentile and Sedona in the 30th. Household composition varies, as Flagstaff’s average household size of 2.3 is 20% larger than Sedona’s 1.9.

Other metrics show closer alignment. Median household income sits at $68,041 in Flagstaff and $67,374 in Sedona, roughly the same, while the cost of living index is 152 in Flagstaff and 174 in Sedona, with Sedona 14% higher. Unemployment rates are 3.9% and 3.5%, respectively, about equal. Both cities grade F for national disaster risk and tap water, and both carry an A+ for climate comfort, with air quality indices of 46 and 47 nearly identical.