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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 86.4
Scottsdale, AZ
242,169 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 159/100K
Home Affordability $709,900
#2
Score 86.3
Sun City West, AZ
27,003 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 168/100K
Home Affordability $350,500
#3
Score 85.8
Clifton, AZ
3,845 residents
Schools 5.3
Safety 20/100K
Home Affordability $66,000
#4
Score 85.7
Litchfield Park, AZ
6,871 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 168/100K
Home Affordability $547,700
#5
Score 85.5
Anthem, AZ
22,622 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 148/100K
Home Affordability $516,200
#6
Score 84.8
Sun City, AZ
38,018 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 168/100K
Home Affordability $259,800
#7
Score 84.7
Chandler, AZ
278,123 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 228/100K
Home Affordability $469,800
#8
Score 84.2
Green Valley, AZ
21,581 residents
Schools 4.9
Safety 33/100K
Home Affordability $264,300
#9
Score 83.9
Wickenburg, AZ
7,468 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 241/100K
Home Affordability $449,400
#10
Score 83.8
Gila Bend, AZ
1,871 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 50/100K
Home Affordability $120,400
#11
Score 83.2
Clarkdale, AZ
4,642 residents
Schools 5.3
Safety 68/100K
Home Affordability $344,800
#12
Score 83
Surprise, AZ
149,519 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 98/100K
Home Affordability $396,000

Full Ranking, Arizona

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

1 Scottsdale AZ 86.4
2 Sun City West AZ 86.3
3 Clifton AZ 85.8
4 Litchfield Park AZ 85.7
5 Anthem AZ 85.5
6 Sun City AZ 84.8
7 Chandler AZ 84.7
8 Green Valley AZ 84.2
9 Wickenburg AZ 83.9
10 Gila Bend AZ 83.8
11 Clarkdale AZ 83.2
12 Surprise AZ 83
13 Tempe AZ 82.8
14 Peoria AZ 82.8
15 Cornville AZ 82.7
16 Goodyear AZ 82.4
17 Sedona AZ 82.4
18 Prescott AZ 82.2
19 Prescott Valley AZ 82.1
20 Verde Village AZ 82
21 Thatcher AZ 81.7
22 Youngtown AZ 81.7
23 Tubac AZ 81.7
24 Citrus Park AZ 81.7
25 Vail AZ 81.6
26 Fountain Hills AZ 81.5
27 Pima AZ 81.4
28 Swift Trail Junction AZ 81.3
29 Buckeye AZ 81.1
30 New River AZ 81.1
31 Village of Oak Creek (Big Park) AZ 81.1
32 Black Canyon City AZ 80.9
33 Spring Valley AZ 80.7
34 Springerville AZ 80.4
35 Cordes Lakes AZ 80.2
36 Lake Montezuma AZ 80.1
37 Sierra Vista AZ 80.1
38 Maricopa AZ 80.1
39 Safford AZ 80
40 Avondale AZ 79.9
41 Corona de Tucson AZ 79.7
42 Dewey-Humboldt AZ 79.6
43 Congress AZ 79.6
44 Paradise Valley AZ 79.5
45 Chino Valley AZ 79.4
46 Williamson AZ 79.3
47 Cactus Flats AZ 79.2
48 Glendale AZ 79.2
49 Sahuarita AZ 79
50 Oro Valley AZ 78.9

Scottsdale, AZ tops the list with a composite score of 86.4 out of 100, followed by Sun City West and Clifton. 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 →