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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Arizona For 2026
To narrow down the most family friendly cities in Arizona, we looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities and percent of households that currently have children. The cities also had to have a population of at least 12,000.
There were 39 said family friendly cities in one of the largest states in the Southwest. But what was the best place for families in Arizona? Without further adieu, the most family friendly city in Arizona for 2026 is Chandler.
So, if you care about your family living where crime is low, schools are awesome, and a there’s a ton of stuff to do, take a look at the list below. The Valentine State is calling.
More reading about Arizona and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Arizona
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Arizona For 2026
/10
Population: 280,136
Median Income: $108,095
Average Home Price: $524,155
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 68
Households with kids: 32.8%
More on Chandler: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 71,867
Median Income: $141,978
Average Home Price: $632,223
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Gilbert
Households with kids: 46.5%
More on Queen Creek: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,611
Median Income: $247,159
Average Home Price: $3,474,596
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 42
Closest Major City: Phoenix
Households with kids: 26.0%
More on Paradise Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 243,821
Median Income: $110,886
Average Home Price: $858,022
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 78
Households with kids: 16.8%
More on Scottsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 280,262
Median Income: $122,551
Average Home Price: $572,507
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 35
Households with kids: 41.3%
More on Gilbert: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 35,862
Median Income: $104,680
Average Home Price: $353,394
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 54
Closest Major City: Tucson
Households with kids: 35.2%
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 47,400
Median Income: $70,874
Average Home Price: $605,543
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 82
Closest Major City: Scottsdale
Households with kids: 12.7%
More on Prescott: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 67,163
Median Income: $96,391
Average Home Price: $346,283
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 47
Closest Major City: Chandler
Households with kids: 40.1%
More on Maricopa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 25,570
Median Income: $79,644
Average Home Price: $333,592
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 47
Closest Major City: Gilbert
Households with kids: 18.8%
More on Florence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 196,906
Median Income: $95,815
Average Home Price: $488,595
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 42
Closest Major City: Glendale
Households with kids: 31.1%
More on Peoria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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.
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.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Arizona according to the data:
- Eloy
- Apache Junction
- Show Low
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Best Places For Families In Arizona
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Amenities Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandler, AZ | 280,136 | $108,095 | $524,155 | 72 |
| 2 | Queen Creek, AZ | 71,867 | $141,978 | $632,223 | 45 |
| 3 | Paradise Valley, AZ | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,474,596 | 31 |
| 4 | Scottsdale, AZ | 243,821 | $110,886 | $858,022 | 77 |
| 5 | Gilbert, AZ | 280,262 | $122,551 | $572,507 | 46 |
| 6 | Sahuarita, AZ | 35,862 | $104,680 | $353,394 | 44 |
| 7 | Prescott, AZ | 47,400 | $70,874 | $605,543 | 76 |
| 8 | Maricopa, AZ | 67,163 | $96,391 | $346,283 | 63 |
| 9 | Florence, AZ | 25,570 | $79,644 | $333,592 | 66 |
| 10 | Peoria, AZ | 196,906 | $95,815 | $488,595 | 52 |