Buckeye vs Goodyear.
Two West Valley cities,
side by side.
Buckeye and Goodyear have almost the same population, and Buckeye has twice the land. They differ most on water, tax rates and distance: Goodyear holds a 100-year water designation and sits closer to Phoenix, while Buckeye is building faster and ties its growth to the water certificates it has issued. Here is each one from the public record.
The two cities in numbers.
Every figure below comes from a government source or The Cromford Report, named at the bottom of the page. Property tax rates differ by tax area, so the table compares the same school district in each city; the full lists are on the Buckeye and Goodyear pages.
| Buckeye | Goodyear | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 125,445 | 125,359 |
| Population, 2020 Census | 91,502 | 95,294 |
| Land area | 392.98 sq mi | 191.30 sq mi |
| City sales tax, retail | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Combined retail rate with state and county | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Litchfield / Agua Fria tax area, 2026, primary / approx. residential | 7.2862 / 5.7734 | 6.6376 / 5.1248 |
| Liberty / Buckeye Union tax area, 2026, primary / approx. residential | 7.4371 / 5.9243 | 6.7885 / 5.2757 |
| Water supply status | Certificates for existing customers and issued growth | 100-year Designation of Assured Water Supply |
| Freeways | I-10 | I-10, Loop 303 |
| Single-family homes | 43,327 | 38,547 |
| Built 2024 to 2026 | 5,536 | 3,587 |
| Straight-line miles to Sky Harbor | 33.6 | 22.4 |
| Median single-family sale, last 12 months | $400,000 | $478,640 |
Tax rates are per $100 of assessed value. Housing counts are single-family parcels with a recorded build year. Median prices are from The Cromford Report, data through 14 October 2026.
Sales tax and property tax.
Buckeye's city retail rate is 3.0% and Goodyear's is 2.5%, for 9.3% and 8.8% with the 5.6% state rate and Maricopa County's 0.7%. Goodyear's city rate on restaurant and bar sales is 4.0%.
Two school districts have tax areas in both cities, which makes a clean comparison. In the Litchfield Elementary and Agua Fria Union tax areas, Maricopa County's 2026 primary rate is 7.2862 in Buckeye and 6.6376 in Goodyear per $100 of assessed value. In the Liberty Elementary and Buckeye Union tax areas, it is 7.4371 and 6.7885. Same schools, about 0.65 apart on the primary rate. Secondary rates run close: 3.8657 and 3.9993 in the first pair, 4.0971 and 4.2307 in the second.
The biggest difference.
Goodyear
Goodyear pumps groundwater from the West Salt River Valley under its state allocation and treats its Central Arizona Project (Colorado River) water at its own Surface Water Treatment Plant. It holds a state Designation of Assured Water Supply covering 100 years for existing and committed development.
Buckeye
Buckeye has mostly relied on groundwater. A January 2023 Arizona Department of Water Resources report found the Hassayampa sub-basin 15% short of the 100-year requirement. The city says it has enough water for existing customers and for growth already covered by issued certificates, about 20 to 25 more years of growth by its estimate.
Buckeye's new sources
The city is adding about 2,786 acre-feet a year of Colorado River water, about 2,500 acre-feet of reclaimed water recharged each year, and a Harquahala Valley water right of 5,925 acre-feet a year for 100 years, approved in February 2023.
Rentals, airports and casitas.
- Short-term rentals in Goodyear.A city license for any rental under 30 days, renewed each year, with emergency and complaint contacts who must respond within set times, and notice to the neighbors. Ask the city for the current fee and insurance minimum before you buy.
- Rentals in Buckeye.Every rental must be registered with the Maricopa County Assessor. Rentals under 30 days pay Buckeye's 6.0% in city hotel taxes on top of the state and county rate. Ask the city whether a short-term rental permit applies before you buy.
- Airports.Phoenix Goodyear Airport is about 2.9 miles from Goodyear City Hall and Luke Air Force Base about 5.0. Buckeye Municipal Airport is about 6.8 miles from Buckeye City Hall. Check the Arizona Department of Real Estate's airport and military airport maps for the address.
- Casitas.Both cities fall under the state ADU law for cities over 75,000 people: one attached and one detached unit, up to 1,000 square feet or 75% of the house. Land near a public airport with noise above 65 decibels, or in the vicinity of a military airport such as Luke, is excluded.
School districts by address.
Both cities are served by several elementary and high school districts, and Litchfield, Liberty, Agua Fria and Buckeye Union appear in both. The address decides the district.
- Buckeye:Buckeye, Liberty, Litchfield, Arlington, Palo Verde and Morristown elementary districts, Buckeye and Agua Fria union high school districts, plus Saddle Mountain Unified and Wickenburg Unified.
- Goodyear:Avondale, Littleton, Litchfield, Liberty and Mobile elementary districts, with Agua Fria, Tolleson and Buckeye union high school districts.
Freeways and distance.
Interstate 10 runs through both cities, and Loop 303 serves Goodyear. Neither has a Valley Metro light rail station. In a straight line, Goodyear City Hall is 18.3 miles from Phoenix City Hall and 22.4 from Sky Harbor. Buckeye City Hall is 29.7 and 33.6. Buckeye covers nearly 393 square miles, so the distance from a given house can be very different from City Hall's; measure the drive from the address.
Desert parks and city fields.
Estrella Mountain Regional Park
Maricopa County's first regional park, in Goodyear: 19,840 acres of Sonoran Desert where two rivers meet. See my Estrella Mountain guide.
Goodyear Recreation Campus
A 30-acre city park at 420 S. Estrella Pkwy. with lighted ball fields and courts for tennis, basketball, pickleball and sand volleyball, a 1-mile path, playgrounds and a recreation center.
Skyline Regional Park and the White Tanks
The City of Buckeye runs Skyline Regional Park among its facilities, and city parks are open from dawn to 10 p.m. unless posted. The county's White Tank Mountain Regional Park, nearly 30,000 acres, is covered in my White Tanks guide.
Newer houses, built fast.
Both cities are mostly single-family and mostly new. In Buckeye's two main ZIPs, 85326 and 85396, most houses were built from the mid 2000s on, on lots of about 5,200 to 10,600 square feet. Goodyear's 85338 and 85395 run from the late 1990s on, with slightly larger median living areas: 2,024 and 2,267 square feet, against Buckeye's 1,837 and 2,137.
Buckeye is building faster. County records show 5,536 single-family homes with a 2024 to 2026 build year in Buckeye and 3,587 in Goodyear. Goodyear has more condos and townhouses, 1,366 against Buckeye's 628. The water card above is why I check a new subdivision's water certificate as closely as its floor plan.
Prices right now.
As of October 2026, The Cromford Report puts the single-family median sale price over the last 12 months at $400,000 in Buckeye, down 1.5% on the year, and $478,640 in Goodyear, up 0.8%. Its Market Index reads 48.6 in Buckeye and 69.5 in Goodyear; both favor buyers, Buckeye more strongly. Supply is 4.7 months in Buckeye and 4.6 in Goodyear. With that much supply, a buyer has room to negotiate in both, and new-build incentives belong in the comparison.
What each city offers.
- Goodyearoffers a shorter trip east, Loop 303 and I-10, a 100-year water designation, a lower sales tax and a lower primary property tax rate in the same school districts. The median price is higher, and Phoenix Goodyear Airport and Luke Air Force Base are close by, which matters for noise disclosures and for casitas.
- Buckeyeoffers a lower median price, the most new construction and more land in the city limits. The trade is distance, a higher tax rate in the same school districts, and a water supply the city is still building out. For a new build, I read the subdivision's water certificate before you sign.
- In both,the tax area, the HOA, the school district and the electric provider follow the address. I check all four, plus airport and military maps, before you write an offer.
Common questions
Is Buckeye or Goodyear bigger?
They are nearly tied on population: the Census Bureau estimates 125,445 in Buckeye and 125,359 in Goodyear as of July 2025. Buckeye has about twice the land, 392.98 square miles against 191.30.
Which has lower taxes, Buckeye or Goodyear?
Goodyear. Its city retail sales tax is 2.5% against Buckeye's 3.0%, and in the school districts both share, Maricopa County's 2026 primary property tax rate is about 0.65 lower in Goodyear per $100 of assessed value.
Does Buckeye have enough water?
The city says it has enough for existing customers and for growth already covered by issued Certificates of Assured Water Supply, about 20 to 25 more years of growth by its estimate, and it is adding Colorado River, reclaimed and Harquahala Valley water.
Is it cheaper to buy a house in Buckeye or Goodyear?
On median price, Buckeye. As of October 2026, The Cromford Report puts the single-family median over the last 12 months at $400,000 in Buckeye and $478,640 in Goodyear.
How far are Buckeye and Goodyear from Phoenix?
In a straight line, Goodyear City Hall is 18.3 miles from Phoenix City Hall and Buckeye City Hall is 29.7. Interstate 10 connects both. Drive times depend on the address.
Do I need a license to run a short-term rental in Goodyear or Buckeye?
In Goodyear, yes: a city license, renewed each year, with emergency contacts and notice to the neighbors. In Buckeye, every rental must be registered with the Maricopa County Assessor and short stays pay city hotel taxes; ask the city whether a permit applies.
Weighing Buckeye or Goodyear?
Send me the addresses or new-build communities you are weighing. I will pull the tax area, water certificate, airport maps and comparable sales for each. Call or text 480-485-4261. If you already have an agent under contract, ask them first.
Own a home in either city? See what the county has on file and get a real value. Looking? Search homes for sale.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Sources: population and land area, U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Buckeye city and Goodyear city (Vintage 2025 estimates and the 2020 Census); sales tax, Arizona Department of Revenue State, County and City Transaction Privilege Tax Rate Table, effective 1 November 2026 (combined rates add the state, county and city retail rates); property tax, Maricopa County 2026 Tax Rates by tax area code; water, City of Buckeye Water Portfolio and City of Goodyear Goodyear's Water Sources and Groundwater FAQs; rentals, City of Goodyear Short-Term Rentals and New Short-Term Rental Ordinance in Effect, City of Buckeye Residential Rental Properties, and the Department of Revenue rate table above for Buckeye's hotel rates (3.0% plus 3.0% additional); ADUs, A.R.S. 9-461.18; airports, Arizona Department of Real Estate Airport Boundary Maps; parks, City of Goodyear Goodyear Recreation Campus, City of Buckeye Parks and Facilities, and Maricopa County Parks Estrella Mountain and White Tank Mountain regional parks; light rail, City of Phoenix Light Rail Stop map layer; housing counts and build years, Maricopa County Assessor parcel records, counted 25 October 2026; distances, straight-line miles between published coordinates; market figures, The Cromford Report, data through 14 October 2026, credited to The Cromford Report. School districts are named, not rated. All checked 28 October 2026.