Living in Arizona is not painful like falling into a cactus in the Saguaro National Park would be. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. The Grand Canyon State is super safe and extremely family friendly.
Speaking of the Grand Canyon, there’s ton of family friendly activities everywhere you turn in Arizona. The Copper State is just one big playground for little kids and big kids alike. For example, you and your family can hike Camelback Mountain in Phoenix and snowboard in Flagstaff in the same day. Now if that doesn’t wear out your kids, you can stop in Sedona and check out some great art on the way to whitewater raft the Colorado River in Page: mountain biking in Payson along the way would just be extra icing on the cake.
There are also really great camps that ask that your kids to stay a week. We recommend Sky Y in Prescott. There’s nothing wrong with a little husband, wife or partner time; so after you drop off the kids, head to one of the many relaxing spas in Scottsdale to celebrate your new found freedom. In all seriousness, Arizona has some of the best schools in the country. Blue ribbon elementary schools, gold star high schools, and colleges like University of Arizona, Arizona State, and Northern Arizona, have been delivering the next generation to work at major Arizona companies like the McDonald’s Corporation, Banner Health, Intel Corporation, and American Airlines.
Now don’t count yourselves out of the mix, parents. There are plenty of jobs available in Arizona for everyone–they have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And with a $53,000/year household median, there’s plenty of cheddar to keep your family happy, healthy, and having fun year round. To take a closer look at the top ten cities on our family friendly Arizona cities for 2026, grab your family, a no-mess carne asada burrito, and head to a sunny spot on Lake Havasu and read on.
$108,095 median income · 32.8% households with kids
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a prominent suburb of the Phoenix, Arizona, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the south by the Gila River Indian Community, and to the east by Gilbert. As of July 2015, the population was 260,828 according to the United States Census Bureau, According to the city’s official website, Chandler’s Transportation & Development Department estimated the population, as of May 2016, to be 247,328. It also has satellite locations for many technology companies, including Intel and Orbital ATK.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$141,978 median income · 46.5% households with kids
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$247,159 median income · 26.0% households with kids
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley is a small, affluent town in Maricopa County, Arizona. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, and restaurant scene.
It should not be confused with Paradise Valley Village, an official municipal designation, in northeast Phoenix. For instance, Paradise Valley Community College, Paradise Valley High School, Paradise Valley Hospital, Paradise Valley Mall, and Paradise Valley Golf Course are all located several miles to the north of the town, in Phoenix. T
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$110,886 median income · 16.8% households with kids
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, adjacent to the Greater Phoenix Area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after founder Winfield Scott and incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000, the 2015 population of the city is estimated to be 236,839 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as “a desert version of Miami’s South Beach” and as having “plenty of late night partying and a buzzing hotel scene.” Its slogan is “The West’s Most Western Town.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$122,551 median income · 41.3% households with kids
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Once known as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World”, Gilbert is currently the most populous incorporated town in the United States. It is the sixth-largest municipality in Arizona, and the fifth-largest in the Metropolitan Phoenix Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$104,680 median income · 35.2% households with kids
Located in
Pima County, Arizona
Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O’odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles south of Tucson. The population was 25,259 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$70,874 median income · 12.7% households with kids
Located in
Yavapai County, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 39,843. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$96,391 median income · 40.1% households with kids
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Maricopa is a city in the Gila River Valley in the State of Arizona. With an estimated 48,602 residents as of 2015, Maricopa is the second most populous incorporated city in Pinal County and eighteenth most populous in Arizona. Maricopa forms part of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$79,644 median income · 18.8% households with kids
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Florence is a town, 61 miles southeast of Phoenix, in Pinal County of Arizona, United States. Florence, which is the county seat of Pinal County, is one of the oldest towns in that county and is regarded as a National Historic District with over 25 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population of Florence was 30,770 at the 2015 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$95,815 median income · 31.1% households with kids
Located in
Yavapai County, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the State of Arizona. Most of the city is located in Maricopa County, while a tiny portion in the north is in Yavapai County. It is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land area, and the ninth largest for population. It was named after Peoria, Illinois. The word “peoria” is a corruption of the Illini word for “prairie fire.” It is the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners who share the Peoria Sports Complex. In July 2008, Money magazine listed Peoria in its Top 100 Places to Live.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Arizona’s statewide median.
Arizona statewide median: $79,964
Arizona statewide median: $423,330
On the map
Where Arizona’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Arizona anyways?
To give you the places in Arizona that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Arizona, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 12,000 people. For Arizona, that meant a total of 39 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Arizona.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Arizona
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandler | 280,136 | $108,095 | $524,156 | 32.8% |
| 2 | Queen Creek | 71,867 | $141,978 | $632,223 | 46.5% |
| 3 | Paradise Valley | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,474,597 | 26.0% |
| 4 | Scottsdale | 243,821 | $110,886 | $858,022 | 16.8% |
| 5 | Gilbert | 280,262 | $122,551 | $572,507 | 41.3% |
| 6 | Sahuarita | 35,862 | $104,680 | $353,394 | 35.2% |
| 7 | Prescott | 47,400 | $70,874 | $605,543 | 12.7% |
| 8 | Maricopa | 67,163 | $96,391 | $346,284 | 40.1% |
| 9 | Florence | 25,570 | $79,644 | $333,593 | 18.8% |
| 10 | Peoria | 196,906 | $95,815 | $488,596 | 31.1% |
| 11 | Surprise | 154,948 | $96,711 | $422,473 | 32.3% |
| 12 | Oro Valley | 48,162 | $107,117 | $506,584 | 20.0% |
| 13 | Sierra Vista | 45,155 | $70,291 | $298,883 | 30.0% |
| 14 | Avondale | 92,477 | $86,123 | $398,568 | 41.7% |
| 15 | Somerton | 14,574 | $74,015 | $271,558 | 42.8% |
| 16 | Flagstaff | 76,445 | $71,512 | $656,480 | 25.2% |
| 17 | Camp Verde | 12,521 | $69,203 | $431,372 | 27.5% |
| 18 | Chino Valley | 13,602 | $61,237 | $500,150 | 23.8% |
| 19 | Coolidge | 16,636 | $67,023 | $270,015 | 34.0% |
| 20 | Tempe | 188,065 | $79,663 | $468,281 | 18.4% |
| 21 | Marana | 56,938 | $112,606 | $436,915 | 32.4% |
| 22 | Yuma | 100,139 | $65,482 | $301,508 | 36.5% |
| 23 | Kingman | 34,375 | $61,792 | $273,783 | 27.9% |
| 24 | Mesa | 511,764 | $82,752 | $435,134 | 29.3% |
| 25 | Douglas | 15,981 | $42,019 | $173,569 | 38.2% |
| 26 | Phoenix | 1,642,323 | $81,332 | $410,169 | 32.3% |
| 27 | Glendale | 252,833 | $73,530 | $407,332 | 34.7% |
| 28 | El Mirage | 36,088 | $78,050 | $342,377 | 48.0% |
| 29 | Goodyear | 107,645 | $103,319 | $469,424 | 32.2% |
| 30 | Prescott Valley | 49,179 | $74,569 | $462,396 | 24.1% |
| 31 | Payson | 16,622 | $67,710 | $446,820 | 15.8% |
| 32 | Tucson | 547,073 | $57,073 | $324,023 | 25.6% |
| 33 | Nogales | 19,841 | $43,214 | $220,632 | 35.8% |
| 34 | Casa Grande | 60,905 | $69,983 | $319,032 | 33.4% |
| 35 | San Luis | 37,337 | $59,400 | $238,911 | 50.1% |
| 36 | Cottonwood | 12,580 | $48,448 | $397,513 | 11.0% |
| 37 | Show Low | 12,102 | $60,368 | $436,997 | 23.7% |
| 38 | Apache Junction | 41,058 | $60,975 | $376,628 | 19.9% |
| 39 | Eloy | 17,433 | $55,736 | $275,410 | 29.0% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 39 Arizona cities with more than 12,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Arizona
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Arizona ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Arizona are Chandler, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Sahuarita, Prescott, Maricopa, Florence, and Peoria.
