These Are The 10 Best Cities In Arizona For Jobs In 2026

The 10 Best Cities in Arizona for Job Seekers in 2026

Are you searching for job opportunities in Arizona? You’ve landed in the right spot!

While Phoenix is often regarded as a prime job market, data reveals that it may not be the top contender in the state.

At Zippia, we leverage data-driven analysis to help you discover the best places for employment in Arizona. We’ve evaluated numerous cities to pinpoint the optimal locations for job seekers in the Grand Canyon State.

After analyzing over 118 locations in Arizona, we compiled a list of the best cities to find work in 2026:

If you reside in one of these cities, you’re likely well aware of the abundant job opportunities available. For those unfamiliar, keep reading to discover how we determined this ranking and what makes these cities stand out.

For additional Arizona job resources, explore:

How We Determined the Best Cities in Arizona for Jobs

To effectively compare cities, we set a minimum population threshold of 5,000 residents.

After gathering data for approximately 118 locations in Arizona, we narrowed our list to 59 cities that met the population requirement.

We ranked each city based on several criteria from one to 59, with one being the top rank. The city with the lowest average score across all criteria earned the title of “Best Place for Jobs in Arizona.”

The criteria evaluated were:

Unemployment rate
Median household income
Poverty level

The data sources for these criteria were derived from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau.

If your city isn’t in the top 10, scroll down for a detailed chart comparing all cities.

For now, let’s explore how these cities have achieved their esteemed status.

1. Litchfield Park

Population: 5,122 Unemployment Rank: 1
Median Income Rank: 5 Poverty Level Rank: 1

2. Queen Creek

Population: 28,529 Unemployment Rank: 4
Median Income Rank: 2 Poverty Level Rank: 8

3. Paradise Valley

Population: 13,243 Unemployment Rank: 2
Median Income Rank: 1 Poverty Level Rank: 11

4. Gilbert

Population: 223,131 Unemployment Rank: 6
Median Income Rank: 3 Poverty Level Rank: 7

5. Sahuarita

Population: 26,441 Unemployment Rank: 3
Median Income Rank: 13 Poverty Level Rank: 3

6. Cave Creek

Population: 5,014 Unemployment Rank: 7
Median Income Rank: 4 Poverty Level Rank: 9

7. Marana

Population: 37,028 Unemployment Rank: 14
Median Income Rank: 6 Poverty Level Rank: 2

8. Oro Valley

Population: 41,493 Unemployment Rank: 15
Median Income Rank: 7 Poverty Level Rank: 4

9. Scottsdale

Population: 223,519 Unemployment Rank: 8
Median Income Rank: 9 Poverty Level Rank: 12

10. Chandler

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 245,231 Unemployment Rank: 10
Median Income Rank: 10 Poverty Level Rank: 10

Finding the Right Place for a Job

The top cities for jobs in Arizona share a key characteristic: they are strategically located near significant job markets. This geographic advantage allows residents to benefit from proximity to major employers.

The aspiration for an ideal suburban home coupled with a fulfilling job is very much alive in these regions.

If you’re curious about the less favorable job markets, here are the bottom three places to seek employment in Arizona:

South Tucson
Eloy
Somerton

Complete List of the Best Cities for Jobs in Arizona

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rank	Income Rank	Poverty Rank
1	Litchfield Park	5,122	1	5	1
2	Queen Creek	28,529	4	2	8
3	Paradise Valley	13,243	2	1	11
4	Gilbert	223,131	6	3	7
5	Sahuarita	26,441	3	13	3
6	Cave Creek	5,014	7	4	9
7	Marana	37,028	14	6	2
8	Oro Valley	41,493	15	7	4
9	Scottsdale	223,519	8	9	12
10	Chandler	245,231	10	10	10
11	Fountain Hills	23,051	18	8	6
12	Goodyear	70,148	9	11	13
13	Maricopa	45,388	16	12	5
14	Snowflake	5,595	5	15	16
15	Peoria	160,231	17	14	14
16	Sierra Vista	45,365	21	17	18
17	Surprise	121,648	29	16	15
18	Sedona	10,092	23	21	17
19	Buckeye	54,927	25	18	19
20	Florence	26,513	13	22	30
21	Avondale	77,912	30	19	20
22	Mesa	452,091	27	23	22
23	El Mirage	32,600	28	26	27
24	Payson	15,234	24	35	24
25	Chino Valley	10,879	19	34	31
26	Page	7,374	31	20	33
27	Globe	7,463	20	39	28
28	Wickenburg	6,629	12	43	35
29	Tempe	166,975	26	24	43
30	Prescott Valley	39,575	33	36	25
31	Phoenix	1,490,758	32	27	36
32	Lake Havasu City	52,827	35	38	23
33	Safford	9,574	46	29	21
34	Flagstaff	67,419	22	25	50
35	Casa Grande	50,316	39	31	29
36	Glendale	231,978	37	28	34
37	Yuma	93,078	44	32	26
38	Prescott	40,130	38	30	40
39	Bisbee	5,475	11	51	49
40	Kingman	28,381	36	37	41
41	Holbrook	5,003	40	33	45
42	Benson	5,075	34	47	44
43	Show Low	10,754	52	42	32
44	Bullhead City	39,480	48	45	37
45	Winslow	9,570	51	41	39
46	Tucson	525,031	41	44	47
47	Youn	6,299	50	49	38
48	Coolidge	12,058	47	40	53
49	Cottonwood	11,358	42	52	48
50	Apache Junction	36,965	54	46	46
51	Camp Verde	10,965	45	48	58
52	Guadalupe	5,892	55	55	42
53	Tolleson	6,707	53	50	52
54	Douglas	17,137	43	58	56
55	Nogales	20,699	49	57	55
56	San Luis	30,139	57	54	51
57	Somerton	14,679	56	53	54
58	Eloy	17,062	58	56	57
59	South Tucson	5,675	59	59	59

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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