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Best Cities for Retirees in Arizona

Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.

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.

Safety · 20% Affordability · 20% Warm Climate · 15% Sunshine · 10% Doctor Access · 15% Dental Access · 10% Health · 10%

Top 12 Retirees Cities in Arizona

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 71.6
Surprise, AZ
149,519 residents
Safety 98/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 74°F
#2
Score 71.1
Chandler, AZ
278,123 residents
Safety 228/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 73°F
#3
Score 70.8
Buckeye, AZ
99,844 residents
Safety 137/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 75°F
#4
Score 70.4
Peoria, AZ
194,338 residents
Safety 233/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 73°F
#5
Score 70
Goodyear, AZ
102,891 residents
Safety 202/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 74°F
#6
Score 69.5
Scottsdale, AZ
242,169 residents
Safety 159/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 70°F
#7
Score 69.1
Glendale, AZ
250,193 residents
Safety 340/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 74°F
#8
Score 68.4
Tempe, AZ
186,419 residents
Safety 452/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 75°F
#9
Score 67.8
Paradise Valley, AZ
12,621 residents
Safety 68/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 73°F
#10
Score 67.4
Avondale, AZ
90,644 residents
Safety 288/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 71°F
#11
Score 66.4
Phoenix, AZ
1,624,832 residents
Safety 699/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 74°F
#12
Score 66
Anthem, AZ
22,622 residents
Safety 148/100K
Affordability 101
Warm Climate 73°F

Full Ranking, Arizona

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

1 Surprise AZ 71.6
2 Chandler AZ 71.1
3 Buckeye AZ 70.8
4 Peoria AZ 70.4
5 Goodyear AZ 70
6 Scottsdale AZ 69.5
7 Glendale AZ 69.1
8 Tempe AZ 68.4
9 Paradise Valley AZ 67.8
10 Avondale AZ 67.4
11 Phoenix AZ 66.4
12 Anthem AZ 66
13 Litchfield Park AZ 65.6
14 New River AZ 65.6
15 Sun City West AZ 65
16 Citrus Park AZ 64.8
17 Sun City AZ 64
18 Gila Bend AZ 63.8
19 Youngtown AZ 63.5
20 Fountain Hills AZ 63.3
21 El Mirage AZ 62.7
22 Carefree AZ 61.8
23 Wickenburg AZ 61.7
24 Cave Creek AZ 61.7
25 Mohave Valley AZ 61.5
26 Golden Shores AZ 61.3
27 Sedona AZ 61.2
28 Congress AZ 61.1
29 Desert Hills AZ 60.7
30 Fort Mohave AZ 60.6
31 Cornville AZ 60.3
32 Yuma AZ 60.2
33 Lake Havasu City AZ 60
34 Clarkdale AZ 59.8
35 Parker AZ 59.7
36 Maricopa AZ 59.7
37 Rio Verde AZ 59.6
38 Beaver Dam AZ 59.6
39 Village of Oak Creek (Big Park) AZ 59.5
40 Verde Village AZ 59.3
41 Avra Valley AZ 59.2
42 Black Canyon City AZ 59.1
43 Bullhead City AZ 58.9
44 Dolan Springs AZ 58.8
45 Cienega Springs AZ 58.8
46 Guadalupe AZ 58.5
47 Scenic AZ 58.3
48 Cordes Lakes AZ 58
49 Bagdad AZ 58
50 Ajo AZ 58

Surprise, AZ tops the list with a composite score of 71.6 out of 100, followed by Chandler and Buckeye. AZ dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for retirees.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Safety, Affordability, Warm Climate, Sunshine, Doctor Access, Dental Access, Health. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to retirees, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
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 → Warmest Cities → Most Affordable →