Arizona

Thinking About Arizona? Look at Housing, Jobs and Crime First

Thinking About Arizona? Look at Housing, Jobs and Crime First: the numbers people forget to research before moving to Arizona — housing, rent, income, growth, crime and taxes.

Updated October 2026 · Smart Movers Club research desk

Quick answer

Arizona can be a good place to live in 2027 if its numbers fit your life: the app's top-scoring places have a median home value of $412,250, rent of $1,795/month and household income of $103,578, and the state's violent crime rate (383 per 100k, 2025) is above the median state. Start your research with Queen Creek, Oro Valley, Green Valley.

Median home value

$412,250

Top-scoring places

Median rent

$1,795/mo

Household income

$103,578

Violent crime / 100k

383

Arizona, 2025

Population change

+1.7%

Tracked places + counties

Home value change

+12.0%

State wage income tax

Yes

Home value ÷ income

4.0×

Top-scoring Arizona cities in the app
PlaceScoreHome valueRentIncomePop. change
Queen Creek, AZ78$576,600$2,176$134,719+7.4%
Oro Valley, AZ73$440,400$1,602$105,342+1.2%
Green Valley, AZ72$264,300$1,135$58,268+3.1%
Marana, AZ71$380,100$1,702$108,256+3.7%
Maricopa, AZ70$338,600$1,919$94,208+5.7%
Catalina Foothills, AZ69$604,100$1,332$113,201+2.3%
Top-scoring Arizona counties
PlaceScoreHome valueRentIncomePop. change
Pinal County71$312,100$1,417$77,588+3.7%
Yavapai County67$392,900$1,258$66,106+1.6%
Graham County66$202,700$890$67,326+1.1%
Greenlee County64$136,300$570$75,239-0.3%
Yuma County58$195,700$983$60,417+1.6%
Cochise County55$207,400$939$58,970-0.0%

Verdict factors to check before you decide

  1. 1Price the whole address: taxes, insurance, utilities and HOA, not just the listing.
  2. 2Confirm the exact city, county and school assignment for the address.
  3. 3Drive the commute at the hours you will actually travel.
  4. 4Check flood, heat and storm exposure on official maps.
  5. 5Compare crime at the jurisdiction level, then visit at night.

Frequently asked questions

Thinking About Arizona? Look at Housing, Jobs and Crime First

Arizona can be a good place to live in 2027 if its numbers fit your life: the app's top-scoring places have a median home value of $412,250, rent of $1,795/month and household income of $103,578, and the state's violent crime rate (383 per 100k, 2025) is above the median state. Start your research with Queen Creek, Oro Valley, Green Valley.

What are the best places to live in Arizona?

In the Smart Movers Club app, the top-scoring Arizona cities are Queen Creek, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Marana, Maricopa, and the top counties are Pinal County, Yavapai County, Graham County, Greenlee County. Scores combine income, housing, growth, employment and education.

Does Arizona have a state income tax?

Yes, Arizona taxes wage income. Check the state revenue department for current rates and compare property and sales taxes too.

Where does this data come from?

Figures come from the Smart Movers Club app, which compiles U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates and FBI state crime rates. Census figures are survey estimates, not live listing prices.

Go deeper

See every number for Arizona.

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Sources and method

Figures are medians across the top-scoring places the Smart Movers Club app tracks in each state, compiled from public data. Census values are survey estimates, not current listings; crime rates are state-level. This is research, not financial or legal advice.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons.