Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Arizona? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Phoenix, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Arizona suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Grand Canyon State
Paradise Valley is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Arizona.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Arizona, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Arizona and the best places to raise a family in Arizona.
Best Suburbs In Arizona For 2024
/10
Population: 12,672
Median Income: $221,333
Average Home Price: $3,234,281
More on Paradise Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Paradise Valley is located 7 miles east of Phoenix.
/10
Population: 6,794
Median Income: $117,601
Average Home Price: $535,888
More on Litchfield Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Litchfield Park is located 9 miles west of Glendale.
/10
Population: 47,053
Median Income: $101,394
Average Home Price: $500,520
More on Oro Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Oro Valley is located 19 miles north of Tucson.
/10
Population: 61,788
Median Income: $127,182
Average Home Price: $627,569
More on Queen Creek: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Queen Creek is located 7 miles east of Gilbert.
/10
Population: 52,542
Median Income: $105,624
Average Home Price: $431,013
More on Marana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Marana is located 26 miles north of Tucson.
/10
Population: 23,739
Median Income: $100,317
Average Home Price: $640,087
More on Fountain Hills: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Fountain Hills is located 8 miles east of Scottsdale.
/10
Population: 145,591
Median Income: $87,756
Average Home Price: $432,141
More on Surprise: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Surprise is located 17 miles west of Glendale.
/10
Population: 191,292
Median Income: $86,759
Average Home Price: $485,980
More on Peoria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Peoria is located 18 miles north of Glendale.
/10
Population: 34,238
Median Income: $97,133
Average Home Price: $360,541
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Sahuarita is located 16 miles south of Tucson.
/10
Population: 97,542
Median Income: $97,307
Average Home Price: $479,397
More on Goodyear: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Goodyear is located 21 miles south of Glendale.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Grand Canyon State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Arizona. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Arizona, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Arizona across these criteria from one to 20, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Arizona.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Arizona.
Read on to see why Paradise Valley is the ‘burb with the most, while Coolidge is probably not the best place to live in Arizona.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Arizona
If you’re measuring the locations in Arizona where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Arizona are Paradise Valley, Litchfield Park, Oro Valley, Queen Creek, Marana, Fountain Hills, Surprise, Peoria, Sahuarita, and Goodyear.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Arizona according to the data:
- Coolidge
- Casa Grande
- Guadalupe
For more Arizona reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Arizona
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona
- Richest Cities In Arizona
- Safest Places In Arizona
- Worst Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Arizona
The Best Suburbs In Arizona
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Valley | 12,672 | $221,333 | $3,234,281 |
| 2 | Litchfield Park | 6,794 | $117,601 | $535,888 |
| 3 | Oro Valley | 47,053 | $101,394 | $500,520 |
| 4 | Queen Creek | 61,788 | $127,182 | $627,569 |
| 5 | Marana | 52,542 | $105,624 | $431,013 |
| 6 | Fountain Hills | 23,739 | $100,317 | $640,087 |
| 7 | Surprise | 145,591 | $87,756 | $432,141 |
| 8 | Peoria | 191,292 | $86,759 | $485,980 |
| 9 | Sahuarita | 34,238 | $97,133 | $360,541 |
| 10 | Goodyear | 97,542 | $97,307 | $479,397 |
| 11 | Maricopa | 59,605 | $88,795 | $361,705 |
| 12 | Tempe | 181,005 | $72,022 | $474,681 |
| 13 | Avondale | 89,214 | $76,496 | $401,338 |
| 14 | Florence | 25,783 | $74,025 | $358,475 |
| 15 | El Mirage | 35,652 | $72,134 | $355,004 |
| 16 | Tolleson | 7,221 | $47,875 | $389,180 |
| 17 | Apache Junction | 38,855 | $56,209 | $366,015 |
| 18 | Guadalupe | 5,335 | $56,423 | $259,445 |
| 19 | Casa Grande | 55,186 | $64,535 | $324,372 |
| 20 | Coolidge | 14,175 | $60,682 | $286,315 |