Best Cities for Families in Arizona

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Arizona

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Arizona

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 85.8
Litchfield Park, AZ
6,871 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 102/100K
Home Affordability $547,700
#2
Score 85.7
Scottsdale, AZ
242,169 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 155/100K
Home Affordability $709,900
#3
Score 85.1
Chandler, AZ
278,123 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 139/100K
Home Affordability $469,800
#4
Score 84.4
Wickenburg, AZ
7,468 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 108/100K
Home Affordability $449,400
#5
Score 83.5
Clarkdale, AZ
4,642 residents
Schools 5.3
Safety 20/100K
Home Affordability $344,800
#6
Score 82.5
Surprise, AZ
149,519 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 109/100K
Home Affordability $396,000
#7
Score 81.7
Goodyear, AZ
102,891 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 187/100K
Home Affordability $441,900
#8
Score 81.5
Pima, AZ
2,910 residents
Schools 5.0
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $261,700
#9
Score 81.4
Thatcher, AZ
5,354 residents
Schools 5.2
Safety 72/100K
Home Affordability $274,400
#10
Score 81.3
Prescott, AZ
46,744 residents
Schools 5.3
Safety 335/100K
Home Affordability $528,500
#11
Score 81.2
Peoria, AZ
194,338 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 264/100K
Home Affordability $429,400
#12
Score 80.7
Tempe, AZ
186,419 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 471/100K
Home Affordability $421,900

Full Ranking, Arizona

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Litchfield Park AZ 85.8
2 Scottsdale AZ 85.7
3 Chandler AZ 85.1
4 Wickenburg AZ 84.4
5 Clarkdale AZ 83.5
6 Surprise AZ 82.5
7 Goodyear AZ 81.7
8 Pima AZ 81.5
9 Thatcher AZ 81.4
10 Prescott AZ 81.3
11 Peoria AZ 81.2
12 Tempe AZ 80.7
13 Chino Valley AZ 80.7
14 Prescott Valley AZ 80.6
15 Buckeye AZ 80.1
16 Camp Verde AZ 79.5
17 Sedona AZ 79.2
18 Sahuarita AZ 78.9
19 Paradise Valley AZ 78.9
20 Maricopa AZ 78.7
21 Sierra Vista AZ 78.7
22 Oro Valley AZ 78.6
23 Kingman AZ 78.4
24 Avondale AZ 77.6
25 Bisbee AZ 77
26 El Mirage AZ 75.6
27 Glendale AZ 75.5
28 Marana AZ 75.5
29 Gilbert AZ 75.4
30 Wellton AZ 75.3
31 Tombstone AZ 74.2
32 Queen Creek AZ 73.7
33 Willcox AZ 73.1
34 Phoenix AZ 73
35 Fredonia AZ 72.4
36 Page AZ 72.1
37 Douglas AZ 71.8
38 Nogales AZ 71.6
39 Florence AZ 71.2
40 Tucson AZ 70.3
41 Flagstaff AZ 70.3
42 Somerton AZ 69.5
43 Mesa AZ 68.7
44 Casa Grande AZ 68.4
45 Superior AZ 68.2
46 Apache Junction AZ 67.3
47 Yuma AZ 67.2
48 Tolleson AZ 66.3
49 San Luis AZ 65.7
50 Williams AZ 64.5

Litchfield Park, AZ tops the list with a composite score of 85.8 out of 100, followed by Scottsdale and Chandler. AZ dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →