With Arizona’s economy expected to grow faster than the rest of the nation in 2017 and the state’s population recently surpassing seven million, the personal finance website WalletHub today released its report identifying 2017’s Best Places to Raise a Family in Arizona.
To determine the most suitable places to raise a family in Arizona for putting down roots, WalletHub’s analysis compared 65 cities in the state across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from median family income to school-system quality to housing affordability.
If you’re looking for cultural diversity, a strong economy, and adventure for your family, Arizona is a great choice and more particularly, Gilbert, based on WallHub’s recent survey. You all know I love my little town of Gilbert so seeing it ranked as number one makes me even more proud.
Arizona is the 11th most racially diverse in the country and holds the record for the largest share of land(3/4) designated for Indian reservations. Surprisingly unbeknownst to me, Arizona beats out 34 other states in terms of employment, earnings, and entrepreneurial opportunities. That’s means spread those big wings and live your dreams here in the Grand Canyon state.
Top 20 Arizona Cities for Raising a Family
| 1 | Gilbert | 11 | Queen Creek | |
| 2 | Scottsdale | 12 | Marana | |
| 3 | Paradise Valley | 13 | Goodyear | |
| 4 | Chandler | 14 | Vail | |
| 5 | Sahuarita | 15 | Fountain Hills | |
| 6 | Anthem | 16 | Sierra Vista | |
| 7 | Oro Valley | 17 | Sierra Vista Southeast | |
| 8 | Catalina Foothills | 18 | Casas Adobes | |
| 9 | Tanque Verde | 19 | Surprise | |
| 10 | Peoria | 20 | New River |
Best vs. Worst
- Fountain Hills has the most playgrounds per 100,000 residents, 8.58, which is 10 times more than in Phoenix, the city with the fewest at 0.86.
- Buckeye has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 0.45, which is 14.6 times fewer than in Tucson, the city with the most at 6.55.
- Paradise Valley has the highest median annual family income (adjusted for cost of living), $103,502, which is 3.1 times higher than in San Luis, the city with the lowest at $33,272.
- Paradise Valley has the lowest separation and divorce rate, 10.24 percent, which is 3.8 times lower than in Douglas, the city with the highest at 39.26 percent.
- Anthem has the lowest share of families living below the poverty line, 2.20 percent, which is 13.7 times lower than in Somerton, the city with the highest at 30.20 percent.
Wow this brings back some memories reading this. My family & I lived in Fountain Hills and I absolutely love the place. It is so beautiful. I love the fountain park & the water park and as a huge plus the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale is sooo amazing! I’ll definitely be subscribing to your blog to see what is going on in AZ now! Thank you for sharing and bringing back some lovely memories!
I am in the UK, so don’t know these areas. But i do love your message of Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local. It sounds like such a community spirit, that we lack these days.
Love this! While my kids are being raised in MA, I love hearing about other great places that are great for families.
This is a really useful infographic for people looking to move to that area. I’ve never visited Arizona, or even United States but I’m planning a coast-to-coast road trip on m long-term travels next year and will be passing through Arizona 🙂 Looks lovely for families to live 🙂
We love visiting Arizona! I live in Louisiana and love it here. There is just something spectacular about small-town living.
I love this! I wish I would have had something like this available when I was looking at where to move in Chester. Great data!
Katja xxx
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Nice! I do enjoy Arizona. I went to college there in Flagstaff and it was a gorgeous area.
I’ve always loved Arizona, there truly are so many great cities in the state as well as fun things to do.I have some family that live in Flagstaff, Arizona and I always have such a great time when I go visit.
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That’s a fantastic post! I love the research you’ve put into this, really good to know.
I think Fountain Hils would be my pick! This is such a great list for families moving to the area!
It’s crazy to think that people factor in all these decisions before raising a family. I’m from the UK so have no idea where half of these places are, but I’m sure it’s going to help someone.
Wow that must have taken you ages to research but what a handy rankings chart for those who want to raise a family in Arizona. Great job!
wow this is a ton of information! your making me want to pack up and leave right now!
I have some friends who are living in Arizona. I will have to pass this on to them and see what they think. Great list though.
such a brilliantly insightful post, very detailed and well laid out. I’m sure it’s going to help many people aiming to move
I’ve never thought about moving to Arizona just because there was never an opportunity to do so. I think this is really helpful especially for people who are thinking of starting a family.
This list is very helpful. It would be perfect for those who currently reside in Arizona and are thinking of starting a family or those who are moving there.
I have a few friends that have families in Arizona or thinking of moving to Arizona. I’ll share this with them. Great info!
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I love the photo! I should think about moving to AZ, CA is so expensive!
Such a great post to read. Place is also a factor in family planning, especially if you have kids, or even planning to have kids.
For a better economy, it is best to promote the “buy-local-think-local” advocacy to rncourage more entrepreneurs especially small scale, to make the town even bigger.