Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Arizona a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Arizona.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Grand Canyon State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Arizona, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 15 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Arizona For 2026
Maricopa County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Arizona. And you should avoid Santa Cruz County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Arizona. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Arizona and the cheapest places to live in Arizona.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Arizona For 2026
1. Maricopa County
Biggest Place: Phoenix
Population: 4,559,748
Median Income: $89,300 (best)
Median Home Price: $462,588 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (3rd best)
More on Maricopa County: Data
2. Yavapai County
Biggest Place: Peoria
Population: 245,480
Median Income: $69,613 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $506,655 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (2nd best)
More on Yavapai County: Data
3. Pima County
Biggest Place: Tucson
Population: 1,060,490
Median Income: $70,315 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $342,046 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (4th best)
More on Pima County: Data
4. Coconino County
Biggest Place: Flagstaff
Population: 144,508
Median Income: $72,966 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $623,162 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (5th best)
More on Coconino County: Data
5. Greenlee County
Biggest Place: Clifton
Population: 9,409
Median Income: $71,164 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $167,947 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (best)
More on Greenlee County: Data
6. Pinal County
Biggest Place: San Tan Valley
Population: 469,006
Median Income: $80,266 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $364,989 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.0% (6th best)
More on Pinal County: Data
7. Gila County
Biggest Place: Payson
Population: 53,795
Median Income: $61,986 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $386,396 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.1% (8th best)
More on Gila County: Data
8. Mohave County
Biggest Place: Lake Havasu City
Population: 220,517
Median Income: $57,684 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $350,643 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.3% (9th best)
More on Mohave County: Data
9. Cochise County
Biggest Place: Sierra Vista
Population: 125,566
Median Income: $59,742 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $260,843 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (10th best)
More on Cochise County: Data
10. Graham County
Biggest Place: Safford
Population: 39,232
Median Income: $67,325 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $305,491 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.7% (11th best)
More on Graham County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Arizona county is the best?
To give you the best county in Arizona, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Arizona across each of the criteria from one to 15, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Arizona.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Grand Canyon State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Arizona.
Read on to see why Maricopa County is the best county, while Santa Cruz County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Arizona.
Summary: The Best Counties In Arizona To Call Home For 2026
Living in Arizona can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Arizona are Maricopa County, Yavapai County, Pima County, Coconino County, Greenlee County, Pinal County, Gila County, Mohave County, Cochise County, and Graham County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Arizona according to the data:
- Santa Cruz County
- Apache County
- La Paz County
For more Arizona reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Richest Cities In Arizona
- Safest Places In Arizona
- Best Counties To Live In Arizona
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Arizona
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maricopa County | 4,559,748 | $89,300 | $462,588 |
| 2 | Yavapai County | 245,480 | $69,613 | $506,655 |
| 3 | Pima County | 1,060,490 | $70,315 | $342,046 |
| 4 | Coconino County | 144,508 | $72,966 | $623,162 |
| 5 | Greenlee County | 9,409 | $71,164 | $167,947 |
| 6 | Pinal County | 469,006 | $80,266 | $364,989 |
| 7 | Gila County | 53,795 | $61,986 | $386,396 |
| 8 | Mohave County | 220,517 | $57,684 | $350,643 |
| 9 | Cochise County | 125,566 | $59,742 | $260,843 |
| 10 | Graham County | 39,232 | $67,325 | $305,491 |
| 11 | Yuma County | 211,741 | $62,876 | $284,272 |
| 12 | Navajo County | 108,415 | $54,606 | $395,262 |
| 13 | La Paz County | 16,664 | $49,478 | $266,469 |
| 14 | Apache County | 65,341 | $41,438 | $315,108 |
| 15 | Santa Cruz County | 48,926 | $55,217 | $279,578 |