Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in Arizona.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in Arizona.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In Arizona
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Arizona. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in Arizona
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main Arizona metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in Arizona.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-35 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Paradise Valley area had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.4%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 35 metro areas from 1-to-35. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Queen Creek
Unemployment Rate: 3.61%
Average Income: $113,304
2. Scottsdale
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Average Income: $129,271
3. Gilbert
Unemployment Rate: 4.41%
Average Income: $108,940
4. Paradise Valley
Unemployment Rate: 1.37%
Average Income: $328,353
5. Goodyear
Unemployment Rate: 4.12%
Average Income: $96,766
6. Fountain Hills
Unemployment Rate: 4.28%
Average Income: $119,590
7. Sahuarita
Unemployment Rate: 3.72%
Average Income: $86,713
8. Mesa
Unemployment Rate: 5.42%
Average Income: $73,216
9. Avondale
Unemployment Rate: 5.53%
Average Income: $71,316
10. Marana
Unemployment Rate: 4.29%
Average Income: $97,327
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In Arizona
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Paradise Valley and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Paradise Valley and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Arizona, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Paradise Valley will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In Arizona
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Creek | 3.61% |
| 2 | Scottsdale | 3.7% |
| 3 | Gilbert | 4.41% |
| 4 | Paradise Valley | 1.37% |
| 5 | Goodyear | 4.12% |
| 6 | Fountain Hills | 4.28% |
| 7 | Sahuarita | 3.72% |
| 8 | Mesa | 5.42% |
| 9 | Avondale | 5.53% |
| 10 | Marana | 4.29% |
| 11 | Chandler | 4.08% |
| 12 | Glendale | 5.84% |
| 13 | Surprise | 6.87% |
| 14 | Peoria | 5.5% |
| 15 | Buckeye | 5.61% |
| 16 | Tempe | 5.38% |
| 17 | Oro Valley | 5.68% |
| 18 | El Mirage | 6.72% |
| 19 | Maricopa | 4.58% |
| 20 | Prescott | 7.09% |
| 21 | Flagstaff | 7.2% |
| 22 | Lake Havasu | 6.41% |
| 23 | Sierra Vista | 6.8% |
| 24 | Kingman | 7.42% |
| 25 | Phoenix | 6.13% |
| 26 | Payson | 4.64% |
| 27 | Prescott Valley | 7.19% |
| 28 | Apache Junction | 9.39% |
| 29 | Casa Grande | 7.95% |
| 30 | Tucson | 8.35% |
| 31 | San Luis | 13.89% |
| 32 | Yuma | 9.47% |
| 33 | Bullhead | 8.28% |
| 34 | Nogales | 10.11% |
| 35 | Somerton | 9.4% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
