Phoenix is a city with great suburbs, each with their own distinct flavor, personality, and traditions. This is mainly due to The Valley’s vibrant southwest vibe. So, if you’re ready to embrace life in the Phoenix burbs, HomeSnacks’ list of the top ten best suburbs in The Valley of the Sun for 2026, below, should be your go-to guide.
Not to mention, after we looked at the latest FBI data and Census for all 22 Phoenix suburbs, we can think of more than a few good reasons to call one of this city’s best suburbs home. For one, if your feet are your two wheels, Gilbert is very pedestrian-centric. If you’re looking for the most family friendly suburb, Fountain Hills has amazing schools and great parks, and if you’re looking for a mix of high-end shopping, dining, and art galleries, Scottsdale will not disappoint.
But, don’t get it twisted, if you want to live in one, you’re going to have to make at least $100,000/year to afford the median home price. But, it’s worth it because many of Phoenix’s top ten best suburbs foster low crime rates, low unemployment rates, and short commute times.
So, want to know where you can discover new experiences in some of Phoenix’s best suburbs? Keep reading.
$247,159 median income · $3,474,597 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Phoenix area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Paradise Valley.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $247,159 a year, which is the highest in the Phoenix region. And only 2.1% are out of work. Homes average more than $3,474,597 each.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$126,250 median income · $525,411 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Litchfield Park is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Phoenix for 2026.
It ranks 3rd for incomes in the area and only 5.5% of residents lack insurance, good for 6th best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$122,551 median income · $572,507 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Here in Gilbert, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Phoenix metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Gilbert.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
$110,886 median income · $858,022 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Scottsdale ranks as the 4th best suburb of Phoenix for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Scottsdale and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
$147,165 median income · $1,292,631 median home price
Coming in as the fifth best is Carefree.
Carefree gets kudos for having the 3rd most expensive homes in the Phoenix area, where houses sell for an average of $1,292,631. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$115,475 median income · $1,344,332 median home price
Santa Cruz is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 7.2%.
According to online reports, Santa Cruz is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Phoenix area, meaning you need to get in soon.
$112,654 median income · $670,052 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Fountain Hills.
Fountain Hills schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 20.4 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$107,067 median income · $1,054,562 median home price
Cave Creek is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 9.8% of people lack insurance, good for 13th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$108,095 median income · $524,156 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Is ‘Everything Better In Chandler?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
$103,319 median income · $469,424 median home price
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Goodyear.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
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
Arizona statewide median: 5.1%
Arizona statewide median: 12.5%
On the map
Where the best Phoenix suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around Phoenix for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Phoenix was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Phoenix.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 20 suburbs to evaluate around Phoenix.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 20 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Phoenix.” We’re lookin’ at you, Paradise Valley.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Phoenix suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best Phoenix Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Valley | 4.07 | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,474,597 |
| 2 | Litchfield Park | 5.57 | 6,916 | $126,250 | $525,411 |
| 3 | Gilbert | 6.14 | 280,262 | $122,551 | $572,507 |
| 4 | Scottsdale | 6.50 | 243,821 | $110,886 | $858,022 |
| 5 | Carefree | 6.86 | 3,683 | $147,165 | $1,292,631 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz | 8.14 | 61,607 | $115,475 | $1,344,332 |
| 7 | Fountain Hills | 8.14 | 23,789 | $112,654 | $670,052 |
| 8 | Cave Creek | 8.29 | 5,091 | $107,067 | $1,054,562 |
| 9 | Chandler | 8.43 | 280,136 | $108,095 | $524,156 |
| 10 | Goodyear | 11.07 | 107,645 | $103,319 | $469,424 |
| 11 | Goodyear | 11.07 | 107,645 | $103,319 | $469,424 |
| 12 | Surprise | 11.64 | 154,948 | $96,711 | $422,473 |
| 13 | Peoria | 12.00 | 196,906 | $95,815 | $488,596 |
| 14 | Tempe | 12.79 | 188,065 | $79,663 | $468,281 |
| 15 | Mesa | 13.00 | 511,764 | $82,752 | $435,134 |
| 16 | Avondale | 13.57 | 92,477 | $86,123 | $398,568 |
| 17 | Glendale | 15.29 | 252,833 | $73,530 | $407,332 |
| 18 | Tolleson | 15.71 | 7,668 | $59,626 | $394,929 |
| 19 | Guadalupe | 15.71 | 5,272 | $51,354 | $243,844 |
| 20 | El Mirage | 16.00 | 36,088 | $78,050 | $342,377 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 20 suburbs within 30 miles of Phoenix.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best Phoenix ‘Burbs of 2026
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Phoenix are Paradise Valley, Litchfield Park, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Carefree, Santa Cruz, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Chandler, and Goodyear.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Phoenix but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on Arizona? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of Phoenix FAQs
What is the best suburb of Phoenix?
Paradise Valley is the best suburb of Phoenix for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Litchfield Park and Gilbert are next.
What are the best suburbs of Phoenix?
The best suburbs of Phoenix are Paradise Valley, Litchfield Park, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Carefree, Santa Cruz, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Chandler, and Goodyear. We ranked all 20 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Paradise Valley?
The median household income in Paradise Valley is $247,159 and the median home costs $3,474,597. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of Phoenix?
Any place within 30 miles of Phoenix qualifies. 20 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank Phoenix suburbs?
Each suburb is scored on income, home values, density, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best combined score, Paradise Valley, takes the crown.
