About ZIP 85142

ZIP code 85142 serves Queen Creek in Maricopa, Arizona. It centers near 33.2487°, -111.6343° and, by population, qualifies as a densely populated, urban-feeling ZIP. Roughly 82,360 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $116,587 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $444,000, and asking rents on the open market sit around $1,980 per month. Compared to the rest of Arizona, that makes 85142 significantly more expensive than typical for the state. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $47,325 and a median home value of $194,672.

The median resident is around 35.6 years old, and roughly 15.5% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 2.3% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 85142, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $444,000 and a typical rental runs $1,980 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $2,363 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
Renting the median unit at $1,980/mo costs roughly $23,760 per year, or about 20.4% of the local median household income.
For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$249,328 versus the state average of $194,672) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 35.6 and a population of 82,360, ZIP 85142 reads as a working-age neighborhood with a mix of young professionals and young families.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 33.2487, -111.6343. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

85298 Gilbert, AZ 85127 Chandler Heights, AZ 85297 Gilbert, AZ 85236 Higley, AZ 85212 Mesa, AZ 85295 Gilbert, AZ 85140 San Tan Valley, AZ 85143 San Tan Valley, AZ

Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 87,201 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.

Group	Count	% of total
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	18,798	21.6%
White alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	57,471	65.9%
Black or African American alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	3,301	3.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	302	0.3%
Asian alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	2,505	2.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	313	0.4%
Some other race alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	561	0.6%
Two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino)	3,950	4.5%

Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 86,944 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 4,577 (5.3%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.

Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)

Among the 34,159 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:

Travel time to work	Workers	% of workers
Less than 5 minutes	1,204	3.5%
5 to 9 minutes	2,382	7.0%
10 to 14 minutes	2,798	8.2%
15 to 19 minutes	2,861	8.4%
20 to 24 minutes	3,632	10.6%
25 to 29 minutes	2,251	6.6%
30 to 34 minutes	4,460	13.1%
35 to 39 minutes	2,059	6.0%
40 to 44 minutes	3,029	8.9%
45 to 59 minutes	6,676	19.5%
60 to 89 minutes	2,532	7.4%
90 minutes or more	275	0.8%

Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 27,701 housing units counted here (table B25002), 26,680 (96.3%) were occupied and 1,021 (3.7%) were vacant.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Queen Creek or browse the rest of Arizona.

ZIP Code 85142 — Queen Creek, AZ