Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Arizona.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Arizona. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 65 places in Arizona over 10,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Arizona.
356.2 sunny days · 88.0 degree average high
Located in
Yuma County, ArizonaYuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515.
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356.2 sunny days · 88.0 degree average high
Located in
Yuma County, ArizonaSan Luis is a city in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The population was 25,505 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area. San Luis, located in the southwest corner of the state directly adjacent to Mexico’s Federal Highway 2, was the second fastest-growing city or town in Arizona from 1990 to 2000. According to 2014 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 31,091.
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356.2 sunny days · 88.0 degree average high
356.2 sunny days · 88.0 degree average high
Located in
Yuma County, ArizonaSomerton is a city in Yuma County, Arizona, United States.
Somerton has an annual Tamale Festival that benefits students from the area who will be attending Arizona State University. More than 20,000 visitors attend the festival each year. The festival is put together by The El Diablito Arizona State University Alumni chapter.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With 1,615,017 people, Phoenix is the fifth most populous city nationwide, the most populous state capital in the United States, and the only state capital with a population of more than one million residents.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaMesa is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a suburb located about 20 miles east of Phoenix. Mesa is the central city of the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler and Gilbert on the south along with Queen Creek, and Apache Junction on the east.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaChandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a prominent suburb of the Phoenix, Arizona, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the south by the Gila River Indian Community, and to the east by Gilbert. As of July 2015, the population was 260,828 according to the United States Census Bureau, According to the city’s official website, Chandler’s Transportation & Development Department estimated the population, as of May 2016, to be 247,328. It also has satellite locations for many technology companies, including Intel and Orbital ATK.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaGlendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 226,721.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaGilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Once known as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World”, Gilbert is currently the most populous incorporated town in the United States. It is the sixth-largest municipality in Arizona, and the fifth-largest in the Metropolitan Phoenix Area.
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344.4 sunny days · 85.8 degree average high
Located in
Maricopa County, ArizonaScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, adjacent to the Greater Phoenix Area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after founder Winfield Scott and incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000, the 2015 population of the city is estimated to be 236,839 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as “a desert version of Miami’s South Beach” and as having “plenty of late night partying and a buzzing hotel scene.” Its slogan is “The West’s Most Western Town.”
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The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Arizona’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Arizona’s best weather is
Saturday Night Science
How We Determined The Cities In Arizona With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in Arizona, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Grand Canyon State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 10,000 people in Arizona from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Yuma, was anointed the city with the best weather in Arizona.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities: Phoenix (9.3 inches), Tucson (12.8 inches), and Mesa (9.3 inches).
The cities with the best weather in Arizona are Yuma, San Luis, Fortuna Foothills, Somerton, Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Gilbert, and Scottsdale.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
The full plate
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Arizona
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuma | 93,812 | 356.2 | 88.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 |
| 2 | San Luis | 30,658 | 356.2 | 88.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Fortuna Foothills | 27,487 | 356.2 | 88.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Somerton | 14,845 | 356.2 | 88.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Phoenix | 1,514,208 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Mesa | 458,860 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Chandler | 250,202 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Glendale | 234,844 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Gilbert | 230,781 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Scottsdale | 227,471 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Tempe | 169,816 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Peoria | 163,664 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Surprise | 123,813 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Avondale | 78,872 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Goodyear | 72,880 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Buckeye | 57,165 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Sun City | 39,111 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 18 | El Mirage | 33,010 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Queen Creek | 30,143 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Sun City West | 24,338 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Fountain Hills | 23,322 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Anthem | 22,995 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 23 | New River | 15,289 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 24 | Sun Lakes | 14,378 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Paradise Valley | 13,477 | 344.4 | 85.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Lake Havasu City | 53,010 | 348.4 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| 27 | Bullhead City | 39,424 | 348.4 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| 28 | Kingman | 28,511 | 348.4 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| 29 | Fort Mohave | 13,686 | 348.4 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| 30 | New Kingman-Butler | 11,859 | 348.4 | 80.6 | 7.7 | 0.8 |
| 31 | San Tan Valley | 87,923 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 32 | Casa Grande | 49,796 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 33 | Maricopa | 45,748 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 34 | Apache Junction | 36,586 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 35 | Florence | 30,770 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 36 | Eloy | 16,954 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 37 | Coolidge | 11,973 | 341.0 | 85.1 | 10.6 | 0.7 |
| 38 | Tucson | 528,374 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 39 | Casas Adobes | 68,862 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 40 | Catalina Foothills | 50,940 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 41 | Oro Valley | 41,965 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 42 | Marana | 38,280 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 43 | Drexel Heights | 28,233 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 44 | Sahuarita | 25,430 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 45 | Green Valley | 22,419 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 46 | Tanque Verde | 16,748 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 47 | Flowing Wells | 16,078 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 48 | Tucson Estates | 12,079 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 49 | Vail | 11,143 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 50 | Valencia West | 10,331 | 334.2 | 83.2 | 12.8 | 0.7 |
| 51 | Show Low | 10,768 | 332.1 | 68.1 | 12.7 | 20.3 |
| 52 | Sierra Vista | 44,892 | 331.8 | 78.1 | 14.0 | 1.7 |
| 53 | Douglas | 16,911 | 331.8 | 78.1 | 14.0 | 1.7 |
| 54 | Sierra Vista Southeast | 15,128 | 331.8 | 78.1 | 14.0 | 1.7 |
| 55 | Prescott | 40,700 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 56 | Prescott Valley | 40,258 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 57 | Verde Village | 12,532 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 58 | Cottonwood | 11,493 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 59 | Camp Verde | 11,008 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 60 | Chino Valley | 10,961 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 61 | Sedona | 10,204 | 330.6 | 73.9 | 15.8 | 7.9 |
| 62 | Payson | 15,248 | 329.8 | 78.3 | 17.4 | 3.7 |
| 63 | Nogales | 20,601 | 326.4 | 78.7 | 17.0 | 0.9 |
| 64 | Rio Rico | 18,760 | 326.4 | 78.7 | 17.0 | 0.9 |
| 65 | Flagstaff | 68,375 | 328.1 | 66.3 | 15.6 | 47.1 |
Source: NOAA climate data. 65 Arizona cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Cities With The Best Weather In Arizona For 2026
If you’re looking for the Arizona cities with the most sunny days, the least rain and snow, and highs closest to a perfect 70 degrees, this is an accurate list.
The cities with the best weather in Arizona are Yuma, San Luis, Fortuna Foothills, Somerton, Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Gilbert, and Scottsdale.
