Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Arizona? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Phoenix, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Arizona suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Grand Canyon State
Oro Valley is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Arizona.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Arizona, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Arizona and the best places to raise a family in Arizona.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Best Suburbs In Arizona For 2023
/10
Population: 46,515
Median Income: $92,548
Median Home Price: $348,200
More on Oro Valley: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Oro Valley is located 19 miles north of Tucson.
/10
Population: 12,666
Median Income: $203,659
Median Home Price: $1,778,000
More on Paradise Valley: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Paradise Valley is located 7 miles east of Phoenix.
/10
Population: 50,834
Median Income: $94,983
Median Home Price: $291,900
More on Marana: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Marana is located 26 miles north of Tucson.
/10
Population: 6,656
Median Income: $94,844
Median Home Price: $393,900
More on Litchfield Park: Data | Cost Of Living
Litchfield Park is located 9 miles west of Glendale.
/10
Population: 23,639
Median Income: $90,143
Median Home Price: $449,300
More on Fountain Hills: Data | Cost Of Living
Fountain Hills is located 8 miles east of Scottsdale.
/10
Population: 33,524
Median Income: $91,110
Median Home Price: $251,800
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Sahuarita is located 16 miles south of Tucson.
/10
Population: 187,733
Median Income: $81,017
Median Home Price: $314,000
More on Peoria: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Peoria is located 18 miles north of Glendale.
/10
Population: 141,875
Median Income: $76,623
Median Home Price: $282,300
More on Surprise: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Surprise is located 17 miles west of Glendale.
/10
Population: 57,728
Median Income: $111,743
Median Home Price: $407,800
More on Queen Creek: Data | Cost Of Living
Queen Creek is located 7 miles east of Gilbert.
/10
Population: 57,075
Median Income: $82,388
Median Home Price: $235,000
More on Maricopa: Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Maricopa is located 18 miles south of Chandler.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Grand Canyon State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Arizona. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Arizona, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Arizona across these criteria from one to 20, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Arizona.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Arizona
Read on to see why Oro Valley is the ‘burb with the most, while Coolidge is probably not the best place to live in Arizona.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Arizona
If you’re measuring the locations in Arizona where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Arizona according to the data:
- Coolidge
- Guadalupe
- Casa Grande
For more Arizona reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Arizona
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona
- Richest Cities In Arizona
- Safest Places In Arizona
- Worst Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Arizona
Detailed List Of The Best Suburbs In Arizona
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oro Valley | 46,515 | $92,548 | $348,200 |
| 2 | Paradise Valley | 12,666 | $203,659 | $1,778,000 |
| 3 | Marana | 50,834 | $94,983 | $291,900 |
| 4 | Litchfield Park | 6,656 | $94,844 | $393,900 |
| 5 | Fountain Hills | 23,639 | $90,143 | $449,300 |
| 6 | Sahuarita | 33,524 | $91,110 | $251,800 |
| 7 | Peoria | 187,733 | $81,017 | $314,000 |
| 8 | Surprise | 141,875 | $76,623 | $282,300 |
| 9 | Queen Creek | 57,728 | $111,743 | $407,800 |
| 10 | Maricopa | 57,075 | $82,388 | $235,000 |
| 11 | Goodyear | 93,651 | $91,073 | $333,900 |
| 12 | Tempe | 178,862 | $64,080 | $321,300 |
| 13 | Avondale | 88,065 | $69,241 | $252,400 |
| 14 | Florence | 25,356 | $63,072 | $210,000 |
| 15 | El Mirage | 35,410 | $65,072 | $204,700 |
| 16 | Apache Junction | 38,311 | $48,917 | $145,700 |
| 17 | Tolleson | 7,180 | $48,002 | $218,600 |
| 18 | Casa Grande | 53,488 | $59,175 | $177,700 |
| 19 | Guadalupe | 5,334 | $45,114 | $172,600 |
| 20 | Coolidge | 13,347 | $51,512 | $127,700 |
