Surprise, AZ

Census place 0471510 · pop 154,948

D55/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in AZ
📍 Arizona ranks #33 of 50 states →
🏆 Prop tax0.42% · top 5%
🚽 Air77 AQI · bottom 4%
Taxes
0.42% property · US 0.99%8.52% sales · US 7.00%2.50% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Air quality (AQI)County-level77 AQI4

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

77 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level73 days5

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

73 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time30 min16

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level97/10021

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

97/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Housing cost$435,10026

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$435,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$1,922/mo39

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$1,922/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Uninsured adults10.5%42

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

10.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Bachelor's degree or higher30.5%51

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

30.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Poverty rate8.6%65

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

8.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property crime rate885/100k67

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

885 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate109/100k69

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

109 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.2%71

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Median household income$96,71173

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$96,711 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult smoking10.4%77

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

10.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Adult obesity29.4%78

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

29.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Physical inactivity19.7%79

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

19.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Income inequality0.3983

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.39 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Broadband access95.6%83

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

95.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Homeownership79.1%84

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

79.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poor mental health14.2%86

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Population growth (5yr)+14.4%88

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+14.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Property-tax burden0.42%95

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.42% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Frequently asked

Is Surprise, AZ a good place to live?
By the numbers, Surprise scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property-tax burden and its weakest is air quality (aqi). Arizona overall ranks #33 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Surprise, AZ?
Surprise reports 109 violent crimes per 100k and 885 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Surprise, AZ expensive to live in?
Surprise has a median home value of $435,100 and typical rent around $1,922/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Surprise, AZ?
Its weakest measured area is air quality (aqi) (77 AQI) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Surprise, AZ best at?
Its strongest measured area is property-tax burden (0.42%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.