Don’t just come to Tucson to experience some of the tastiest cuisine, its jammin’ music festivals, and/or its mega outdoor scene; come to “America’s Biggest Small Town” to experience some of the best places to live in the state as well. And if you’re not sure where those are located, take a look below at HomeSnacks’ list of the best neighborhoods in Tucson for 2026.
To get the most accurate list, we had to do a little research. First, we looked at the latest census report for the median income levels and median home prices for each one of Tucson’s 128 neighborhoods. We then stuck those two variables into a formula that calculated the ratio of income level to home price, which in turn ranked each neighborhood based on what place was the best deal. However, it didn’t end there. We also looked at things that people find important when looking for their forever home: like, safety, unemployment rates, and cool stuff to do–we call this a neighborhood’s SnackAbility score. Let’s just say, if you haven’t thought about moving to one of Tucson’s best neighborhoods, you should start.
If you need to live close to The University of Arizona, there are homes on S. Tucson Blvd in the Broadmoor Broadway neighborhood that will only cost you around $186,552. If you need to live close to the Mister Car Wash Headquarter — because you just accepted a job with the third largest employer in Tucson — then, the Saguaro Miraflores neighborhood should suit you just fine. And if you need to live close to the Tucson International Airport the Rita Ranch has some pretty great deals and the five-alarm sunsets here aren’t half bad, either.
But, if you want to know the Tucson neighborhoods that are meeting and exceeding their community goals year after year, you’re going to have to keep reading.
$94,167 median income · $227,000 median home value
$86,571 median income · $352,000 median home value
$61,471 median income · $266,650 median home value
$59,231 median income · $317,933 median home value
$66,392 median income · $326,250 median home value
$110,357 median income · $327,700 median home value
$110,357 median income · $327,700 median home value
$76,653 median income · $216,900 median home value
$63,077 median income · $353,600 median home value
$57,438 median income · $228,800 median home value
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
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Tucson, AZ neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Tucson, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 128 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Tucson.” We’re lookin’ at you, Rillito.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Tucson, Arizona has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Tucson.
The full plate
Table: Best Tucson neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rillito | 1,196 | $227,000 | $94,167 |
| 2 | Houghton | 2,583 | $352,000 | $86,571 |
| 3 | Blenman-Elm | 3,532 | $266,650 | $61,471 |
| 4 | Old Fort Lowell | 2,055 | $317,933 | $59,231 |
| 5 | Broadmoor-Broadway | 1,581 | $326,250 | $66,392 |
| 6 | El Montevideo | 86 | $327,700 | $110,357 |
| 7 | El Conquistador | 40 | $327,700 | $110,357 |
| 8 | Highland Vista Cinco Via | 655 | $216,900 | $76,653 |
| 9 | Sam Hughes | 4,026 | $353,600 | $63,077 |
| 10 | Campbell-Grant | 810 | $228,800 | $57,438 |
| 11 | Civano | 3,195 | $265,167 | $90,547 |
| 12 | Eastside | 4,032 | $223,000 | $87,636 |
| 13 | Catalina Vista-Blenman-Elm | 118 | $328,600 | $59,157 |
| 14 | Peter Howell | 2,300 | $248,750 | $55,530 |
| 15 | Rosemont East | 160 | $216,900 | $76,653 |
| 16 | Mesquite Ranch | 2,164 | $248,700 | $88,510 |
| 17 | Samos | 1,225 | $252,125 | $45,772 |
| 18 | Starr Pass | 1,195 | $489,800 | $76,922 |
| 19 | Broadway-Northeast | 1,185 | $193,600 | $83,750 |
| 20 | Harrison East-South | 3,311 | $163,800 | $75,206 |
| 21 | Bear Canyon | 1,642 | $386,625 | $84,854 |
| 22 | Miramonte | 3,213 | $280,600 | $37,324 |
| 23 | Rita Ranch | 17,981 | $220,960 | $93,062 |
| 24 | West University | 4,495 | $315,600 | $30,374 |
| 25 | South Harrison | 5,240 | $179,600 | $61,133 |
| 26 | El Presidio | 552 | $337,200 | $60,758 |
| 27 | Ironwood Ridge | 188 | $205,700 | $82,206 |
| 28 | Palo Verde | 5,438 | $218,050 | $42,521 |
| 29 | Mitman | 1,507 | $139,300 | $61,448 |
| 30 | Glenn Heights | 182 | $221,500 | $42,543 |
| 31 | Dunbar Spring | 938 | $315,333 | $39,788 |
| 32 | Poets Square | 1,040 | $234,567 | $68,613 |
| 33 | Prince Tucson | 2,295 | $250,000 | $52,954 |
| 34 | Desert Palms Park | 333 | $243,800 | $77,371 |
| 35 | Colonia Del Valle | 1,870 | $177,950 | $57,800 |
| 36 | Mountain First Avenue | 1,857 | $240,833 | $34,106 |
| 37 | Udall Park | 127 | $173,600 | $50,238 |
| 38 | Dietz | 6,818 | $124,867 | $48,456 |
| 39 | North University | 2,388 | $319,833 | $42,558 |
| 40 | Vista Del Monte | 1,548 | $164,350 | $39,434 |
| 41 | Jefferson Park | 3,320 | $261,000 | $33,336 |
| 42 | Pie Allen | 954 | $216,100 | $26,903 |
| 43 | Barrio Viejo | 687 | $300,800 | $54,131 |
| 44 | Rincon Heights | 2,295 | $212,233 | $39,104 |
| 45 | Hedrick Acres | 3,105 | $180,950 | $39,960 |
| 46 | Harlan Heights | 2,215 | $153,700 | $47,761 |
| 47 | Sewell | 1,428 | $298,450 | $38,814 |
| 48 | Arroyo Chico | 2,003 | $192,300 | $61,047 |
| 49 | San Clemente | 767 | $261,250 | $46,557 |
| 50 | Northwest | 958 | $204,300 | $42,197 |
| 51 | Avondale | 1,662 | $195,600 | $19,694 |
| 52 | Rosemont West | 1,500 | $178,200 | $43,254 |
| 53 | Terra Del Sol | 4,924 | $149,200 | $45,426 |
| 54 | Midvale Park | 15,704 | $147,564 | $50,931 |
| 55 | Richland Heights East | 1,385 | $292,350 | $38,418 |
| 56 | El Gheko | 2,453 | $186,150 | $48,534 |
| 57 | Millville | 759 | $215,000 | $38,942 |
| 58 | Corbett | 6,533 | $126,600 | $46,554 |
| 59 | Menlo Park | 5,659 | $217,700 | $44,291 |
| 60 | Cabrini | 1,664 | $136,800 | $39,068 |
| 61 | Thunderbird Heights-Wilmot Desert | 886 | $150,700 | $39,635 |
| 62 | Wilshire Heights | 225 | $191,600 | $68,693 |
| 63 | San Gabriel | 1,315 | $225,633 | $45,353 |
| 64 | La Madera | 1,297 | $162,400 | $47,580 |
| 65 | Oak Flower | 2,292 | $178,800 | $27,340 |
| 66 | A Mountain | 2,502 | $116,700 | $49,340 |
| 67 | Lakeside Park | 5,070 | $137,725 | $49,232 |
| 68 | Stella Mann | 4,864 | $140,175 | $39,739 |
| 69 | Iron Horse | 243 | $215,550 | $35,330 |
| 70 | Toumey Park | 1,635 | $157,600 | $52,861 |
| 71 | Country Glenn | 1,179 | $160,267 | $47,580 |
| 72 | Barrio San Antonio | 283 | $187,600 | $41,356 |
| 73 | Feldman’s | 2,303 | $215,467 | $30,092 |
| 74 | Bravo Park Lane | 2,154 | $128,167 | $48,891 |
| 75 | Cherry Avenue | 9,562 | $97,100 | $43,818 |
| 76 | Limberlost | 3,236 | $154,433 | $28,139 |
| 77 | Armory Park | 1,259 | $197,367 | $44,402 |
| 78 | Shaheen Estates | 227 | $243,600 | $40,682 |
| 79 | Keeling | 5,305 | $152,680 | $35,846 |
| 80 | South Park | 3,265 | $152,667 | $39,027 |
| 81 | Groves Lincoln Park | 6,265 | $153,550 | $58,873 |
| 82 | Julia Keen | 4,304 | $112,133 | $45,917 |
| 83 | Barrio Anita | 220 | $174,400 | $47,143 |
| 84 | North Dodge | 2,235 | $155,700 | $25,780 |
| 85 | Richland Heights West | 685 | $165,600 | $41,071 |
| 86 | Myers | 5,381 | $129,967 | $37,594 |
| 87 | Miles East West | 1,339 | $175,400 | $34,372 |
| 88 | Drexel Park | 2,250 | $114,000 | $28,472 |
| 89 | Campus Farm | 6,005 | $161,943 | $36,218 |
| 90 | Westside Development | 3,905 | $150,950 | $65,522 |
| 91 | Doolen-Fruitvale | 1,537 | $127,833 | $41,610 |
| 92 | Tucson Park West | 3,752 | $152,700 | $29,854 |
| 93 | Swan Way Park | 1,075 | $168,350 | $39,836 |
| 94 | Mountain View | 1,478 | $141,300 | $34,322 |
| 95 | Desert Aire-Loma Linda | 415 | $178,200 | $29,722 |
| 96 | Elvira | 8,246 | $117,300 | $42,972 |
| 97 | Roberts | 1,999 | $155,150 | $31,568 |
| 98 | Dodge Flower | 2,150 | $114,850 | $28,238 |
| 99 | Barrio Centro | 516 | $115,100 | $57,975 |
| 100 | Barrio Santa Rosa | 753 | $191,650 | $35,644 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 128 Tucson neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Tucson
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Tucson where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Tucson are Rillito, Houghton, Blenman-Elm, Old Fort Lowell, Broadmoor-Broadway, El Montevideo, El Conquistador, Highland Vista Cinco Via, Sam Hughes, and Campbell-Grant.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Tucson aren’t all good. San Ignacio Yaqui takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Tucson.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Arizona? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Tucson FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Tucson?
Rillito is the best neighborhood in Tucson for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Houghton and Blenman-Elm are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Tucson?
The best neighborhoods in Tucson are Rillito, Houghton, Blenman-Elm, Old Fort Lowell, Broadmoor-Broadway, El Montevideo, El Conquistador, Highland Vista Cinco Via, Sam Hughes, and Campbell-Grant. We ranked all 128 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Rillito?
The median household income in Rillito is $94,167 and the median home costs $227,000. The best blocks in Tucson rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Tucson neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Rillito, takes the top spot.
Which Tucson neighborhood ranked last?
San Ignacio Yaqui came in last of the 128 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Tucson the numbers put it there.
