Money does grow on cacti in Arizona’s richest places. However, we don’t want you to get ‘stuck’ trying to figure out where Arizona’s wealthiest live on your own, so we made a list of the top ten richest places in The Grand Canyon State for 2026 and listed them below.
To determine Arizona’s most affluent places, we looked at home prices according to Zillow and median incomes from the Census.
We were not surprised, however, to find that Arizona is one of the fastest-growing states or one of the best states to retire in the country with the consistent influx of snowbirds and retirees. But, we were surprised that the state is not one of the top ten richest states in America considering you need a high-paying job and a bank account to match if you want to live in one of the state’s richest places.
With fancy, rich city names like Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills, you’re going to have to bring in at least $107,067/year to live in Arizona’s wealthiest places.
$247,159 median income · 5.5% poverty · #1 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Paradise Valley is a small, affluent town in Maricopa County, Arizona. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, and restaurant scene. It should not be confused with Paradise Valley Village, an official municipal designation, in northeast Phoenix. For instance, Paradise Valley Community College, Paradise Valley High School, Paradise Valley Hospital, Paradise Valley Mall, and Paradise Valley Golf Course are all located several miles to the north of the town, in Phoenix. T
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$147,165 median income · 11.3% poverty · #2 income in Arizona
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$141,978 median income · 3.7% poverty · #3 income in Arizona
Located in
Pinal County, Arizona
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,654 median income · 6.2% poverty · #7 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Known for its impressive fountain, once the tallest in the world, it borders on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Scottsdale, Arizona. The population is 22,489, as of the 2010 census. Between the 1990 and 2000 censuses it was the eighth fastest-growing place among cities and towns in Arizona.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$110,886 median income · 7.3% poverty · #9 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Scottsdale 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.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$107,067 median income · 7.2% poverty · #12 income in Arizona
Cave Creek is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is 27mi northeast of Phoenix. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town was 5,015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$126,250 median income · 3.9% poverty · #5 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is twenty miles northwest of Phoenix. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,476.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$122,551 median income · 5.3% poverty · #6 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Gilbert 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$108,095 median income · 7.9% poverty · #10 income in Arizona
Located in
Maricopa County, Arizona
Chandler 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$107,117 median income · 6.5% poverty · #11 income in Arizona
Located in
Pima County, Arizona
Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located 6 miles north of Tucson, Arizona, United States in Pima County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 41,011, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 census. Dubbed the “Upscale Tech Mecca” of Southern Arizona by the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Oro Valley is home to over 10 high tech firms and has a median household income nearly 50% higher than the U.S. median. The town is located approximately 110 miles southeast of the state capital of Phoenix.
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: 12.5%
Arizona statewide median: 5.1%
On the map
Where the money lives in Arizona
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the richest places in Arizona for 2026
The first thing most people reach for is personal income. After all, rich people have really high salaries. But one statistic doesn’t capture what it means to be one of the “richest places,” so we applied Saturday Night Science to two measures from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey:
- Median household income
- Median home value
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is, and home values are a measure of accumulated wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After collecting the data for all 70 places in Arizona with more than 3,000 people, we ranked each place from 1 to 70 on both criteria, then averaged the two ranks into a “Rich Score.” The place with the lowest Rich Score, Paradise Valley, is crowned the richest city in Arizona for 2026.
The full plate
All 70 richest cities in Arizona, ranked
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Rich Score | Population | Median income | Median home value | Poverty | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise Valley | 1.00 | 12,611 | $247,159 | $3,474,597 | 5.5% | 2.1% |
| 2 | Carefree | 2.00 | 3,683 | $147,165 | $1,292,631 | 11.3% | 3.8% |
| 3 | Queen Creek | 5.50 | 71,867 | $141,978 | $632,223 | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| 4 | Fountain Hills | 6.50 | 23,789 | $112,654 | $670,052 | 6.2% | 5.3% |
| 5 | Scottsdale | 7.00 | 243,821 | $110,886 | $858,022 | 7.3% | 3.6% |
| 6 | Cave Creek | 7.50 | 5,091 | $107,067 | $1,054,562 | 7.2% | 2.7% |
| 7 | Litchfield Park | 8.00 | 6,916 | $126,250 | $525,411 | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| 8 | Gilbert | 8.00 | 280,262 | $122,551 | $572,507 | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| 9 | Chandler | 11.00 | 280,136 | $108,095 | $524,156 | 7.9% | 3.6% |
| 10 | Oro Valley | 12.50 | 48,162 | $107,117 | $506,584 | 6.5% | 2.3% |
| 11 | Peoria | 16.50 | 196,906 | $95,815 | $488,596 | 8.4% | 4.0% |
| 12 | Goodyear | 16.50 | 107,645 | $103,319 | $469,424 | 5.2% | 4.2% |
| 13 | Marana | 17.00 | 56,938 | $112,606 | $436,915 | 4.9% | 4.5% |
| 14 | Sedona | 18.50 | 9,777 | $73,738 | $909,102 | 14.0% | 6.2% |
| 15 | Flagstaff | 21.00 | 76,445 | $71,512 | $656,480 | 18.2% | 5.7% |
| 16 | Surprise | 22.00 | 154,948 | $96,711 | $422,473 | 8.6% | 4.3% |
| 17 | Prescott | 22.50 | 47,400 | $70,874 | $605,543 | 11.7% | 4.5% |
| 18 | Tempe | 22.50 | 188,065 | $79,663 | $468,281 | 15.8% | 5.5% |
| 19 | Mesa | 25.00 | 511,764 | $82,752 | $435,134 | 10.3% | 4.2% |
| 20 | Avondale | 26.00 | 92,477 | $86,123 | $398,568 | 10.9% | 3.6% |
| 21 | Sahuarita | 26.00 | 35,862 | $104,680 | $353,394 | 8.6% | 6.4% |
| 22 | Prescott Valley | 26.50 | 49,179 | $74,569 | $462,396 | 11.7% | 2.8% |
| 23 | Williams | 27.00 | 3,369 | $76,136 | $442,779 | 13.5% | 5.0% |
| 24 | Taylor | 27.00 | 4,183 | $90,275 | $379,918 | 14.3% | 3.6% |
| 25 | Phoenix | 27.00 | 1,642,323 | $81,332 | $410,169 | 13.7% | 5.0% |
| 26 | Page | 28.00 | 7,345 | $88,826 | $378,791 | 10.6% | 3.3% |
| 27 | Wickenburg | 28.50 | 8,059 | $67,600 | $513,341 | 12.9% | 0.4% |
| 28 | Maricopa | 29.00 | 67,163 | $96,391 | $346,284 | 7.4% | 5.0% |
| 29 | Lake Havasu City | 29.50 | 58,359 | $70,148 | $463,714 | 14.1% | 5.0% |
| 30 | Thatcher | 30.50 | 5,439 | $82,917 | $350,905 | 12.1% | 4.6% |
| 31 | Dewey-Humboldt | 31.50 | 4,501 | $66,535 | $483,719 | 7.9% | 9.9% |
| 32 | Glendale | 32.50 | 252,833 | $73,530 | $407,332 | 15.1% | 5.6% |
| 33 | St. Johns | 33.00 | 3,395 | $131,968 | $234,884 | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| 34 | Payson | 33.00 | 16,622 | $67,710 | $446,820 | 11.0% | 7.1% |
| 35 | Chino Valley | 33.00 | 13,602 | $61,237 | $500,150 | 11.4% | 5.3% |
| 36 | Camp Verde | 34.00 | 12,521 | $69,203 | $431,372 | 15.5% | 5.8% |
| 37 | Snowflake | 36.00 | 6,444 | $76,174 | $344,541 | 14.0% | 2.5% |
| 38 | Florence | 36.00 | 25,570 | $79,644 | $333,593 | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| 39 | El Mirage | 36.50 | 36,088 | $78,050 | $342,377 | 12.5% | 5.8% |
| 40 | Eagar | 37.00 | 4,416 | $82,839 | $295,900 | 14.9% | 3.2% |
| 41 | Show Low | 39.50 | 12,102 | $60,368 | $436,997 | 12.2% | 4.7% |
| 42 | Clarkdale | 42.00 | 4,758 | $46,563 | $472,021 | 18.6% | 2.7% |
| 43 | Youn | 43.00 | 7,015 | $68,321 | $343,386 | 10.4% | 3.1% |
| 44 | Pinetop-Lakeside | 43.00 | 4,101 | $60,694 | $397,898 | 9.0% | 5.7% |
| 45 | Casa Grande | 43.50 | 60,905 | $69,983 | $319,032 | 13.5% | 6.1% |
| 46 | Parker | 44.00 | 3,388 | $66,273 | $348,325 | 12.7% | 7.4% |
| 47 | Sierra Vista | 44.00 | 45,155 | $70,291 | $298,883 | 12.0% | 4.8% |
| 48 | Somerton | 44.00 | 14,574 | $74,015 | $271,558 | 13.8% | 3.7% |
| 49 | Tolleson | 45.00 | 7,668 | $59,626 | $394,929 | 18.0% | 2.4% |
| 50 | Apache Junction | 45.00 | 41,058 | $60,975 | $376,628 | 10.6% | 6.5% |
| 51 | Clifton | 48.50 | 3,822 | $78,480 | $70,823 | 2.5% | 0.8% |
| 52 | Cottonwood | 49.00 | 12,580 | $48,448 | $397,513 | 18.6% | 3.1% |
| 53 | Yuma | 49.00 | 100,139 | $65,482 | $301,508 | 15.5% | 6.3% |
| 54 | Safford | 50.50 | 10,239 | $65,647 | $287,457 | 14.1% | 4.3% |
| 55 | Coolidge | 51.00 | 16,636 | $67,023 | $270,015 | 19.9% | 14.1% |
| 56 | Globe | 51.00 | 7,195 | $69,170 | $238,040 | 16.4% | 3.0% |
| 57 | Tucson | 52.50 | 547,073 | $57,073 | $324,023 | 18.9% | 6.2% |
| 58 | Kingman | 52.50 | 34,375 | $61,792 | $273,783 | 14.3% | 6.7% |
| 59 | Bullhead City | 56.00 | 42,496 | $50,556 | $299,832 | 18.7% | 11.5% |
| 60 | Eloy | 57.00 | 17,433 | $55,736 | $275,410 | 23.1% | 6.2% |
| 61 | San Luis | 58.00 | 37,337 | $59,400 | $238,911 | 18.1% | 8.0% |
| 62 | Guadalupe | 60.00 | 5,272 | $51,354 | $243,844 | 27.1% | 4.5% |
| 63 | Benson | 60.50 | 5,417 | $49,346 | $253,542 | 12.1% | 8.7% |
| 64 | Winslow | 62.00 | 8,773 | $58,346 | $203,634 | 29.8% | 8.9% |
| 65 | Holbrook | 62.50 | 4,858 | $56,502 | $203,704 | 19.8% | 3.4% |
| 66 | Bisbee | 64.00 | 4,977 | $47,613 | $224,750 | 15.2% | 13.6% |
| 67 | Nogales | 66.00 | 19,841 | $43,214 | $220,632 | 28.0% | 15.7% |
| 68 | Willcox | 67.50 | 3,222 | $43,929 | $201,775 | 19.3% | 13.0% |
| 69 | South Tucson | 67.50 | 4,550 | $33,598 | $219,315 | 30.4% | 10.6% |
| 70 | Douglas | 69.00 | 15,981 | $42,019 | $173,569 | 27.8% | 12.3% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 70 cities with more than 3,000 residents.
Paradise Valley is the richest place in Arizona for 2026
When we set out to identify the richest places in Arizona, we weren’t sure what we’d find, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in the state. The richest cities in Arizona are Paradise Valley, Carefree, and Queen Creek, and when you look at the data they sit at the very top of the income ladder for everyone who lives there.
Breaking into the top ten takes a median household income of at least $107,067. If you’re curious about the other end of the ledger, the poorest places are listed to the right.
