Best Places to Live in Arizona

The state of Arizona, located at south west is blessed with nice, sunny weather, picturesque desert valleys and ample natural resources. In the past decade, Arizona has evolved into an economic hub with various medical and science institutions. This state offers excellent living conditions, fantastic infrastructure and safer neighborhoods. The cost of living in Arizona is also comparatively lesser than that in some other states. Needless to say, this state has emerged has a haven for middle class families. In this article, we have listed a few best places to live in Arizona, based on infrastructure, housing cost, educational facilities and other amenities.

List of Best Places to Live in Arizona

Phoenix and Tucson are two major cities in Arizona. The places mentioned in the following list are either suburbs of Phoenix or Tucson or towns located in the close vicinity of these two metropolitan centers.

Gilbert, Maricopa County
Gilbert has been recognized as 36th best place to live in the nation in 2010. It is located at 22 miles, southeast from the city of Phoenix. It has rapidly evolved from an agricultural center to an economically diverse suburb. Gilbert is clean, safe and boasts about 100 parks and numerous private and public golf courses. The population of Gilbert has rose from 5,717 in 1980 to 208,453 in 2010. It is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country.

Scottsdale, Maricopa County
This is yet another city from Arizona which features in the top 100 cities to live in the US. It is located only 12 miles from the city of Phoenix. Scottsdale is an affluent city with many upscale restaurants, shopping malls clubs etc. Due to high median income, this place also happens to be one of the most expensive cities in Arizona. It offers excellent educational facilities, medical centers and state-of-the-art infrastructure. It is fondly called a desert version of South Beach, Miami.

Chandler, Maricopa County
This is a suburb of Phoenix, with a population of 236,123. It houses many corporations like Intel, Orbital Science etc. In fact, these companies have tremendously contributed to the growth of Chandler.

Flagstaff, Coconino
Flagstaff is located to the northern of Arizona, comparatively away from Phoenix (147 miles) and Tucson (262 miles). This is a safe city with relatively lower crime rate (6.44). The economy of this city depends upon various sectors such as tourism, government, education and transportation. The estimated population of this city is 60,222.

Oro Valley, Pima County
Oro valley is a suburb of Tucson, located only 6 miles from the main city of Tucson. This is an emerging center for information technology and biotechnolgy. Population of Oro Valley is about 42,331. It has a very low crime rate, which is just above 3.

Tempe, Maricopa County
Tempe is one of the best places to live for families with kids. It is also a home for many big corporate houses, including two Fortune 500 companies. It boasts excellent education, medical and recreational facilities.

Besides, the above mentioned places, one can also consider the following options,

• Tempe, AZ (Maricopa County)
• Peoria, (Maricopa and Yavapai Counties)
• Goodyear (Maricopa County)
• Prescott, (Yavapai County)
• Surprise, (Maricopa County)
• Queen Creek, (Maricopa and Pinal Counties)
• Sedona, (Coconino and Yavapai counties)
• Fountain Hills, (Maricopa County)
• Cave Creek, (Maricopa County)
• Litchfield Park (Maricopa County)
• Marana, (Pima County)
• Sierra Vista, (Cochise County)
• Paradise Valley, AZ (Maricopa County)
• Sahuarita, AZ (Pima County)

Arizona is indeed one of the best states to live in the US. Besides, the culture is very friendly and warm. No wonder many easterners fall for the laid back charm of this beautiful state.