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These Are The 10 Laziest Places In Arizona

By John McLean
Feb. 8, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Feb. 2, 2026

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Discover the 10 Least Ambitious Places in Arizona

While workplace dynamics can be frustrating, particularly when dealing with colleagues who shirk responsibility, it’s essential to understand that certain community factors can influence local work ethics. If you find yourself residing in any of the following Arizona towns, you may need to reflect on the local culture that might be fostering a laid-back attitude.

This analysis isn’t meant to be harsh; rather, it’s an exploration of how location can impact workplace motivation. To identify the areas in Arizona where a more relaxed approach to work is prevalent, we examined data from the most recent American Community Survey.

After thorough analysis, here are the ten “Least Ambitious Places in Arizona,” ranked based on specific criteria:

  1. Queen Creek
  2. Maricopa
  3. Gilbert
  4. Litchfield Park
  5. Marana
  6. Chandler
  7. Goodyear
  8. Sahuarita
  9. Cave Creek
  10. Peoria

Continue reading to discover which towns are considered less ambitious, or jump to the end to find your town’s ranking.

Notably, Douglas stands out as the most industrious location in Arizona.

How We Determined the Least Ambitious Places in Arizona

At Zippia, we pride ourselves on using data to tackle tough questions. Our recent analysis uses the latest American Community Survey data to shed light on local work ethics. The Census Bureau’s most recent estimates provide a comprehensive look at community dynamics, allowing us to identify the least ambitious locations.

We analyzed various criteria to determine which towns might be characterized by a more relaxed attitude toward work:

  • Lowest average hours worked
  • Shortest commute times
  • Fewest workers per household (calculated by dividing the labor force by the number of households)
  • Highest unemployment rates
  • Lowest percentage of adults holding a college degree

The rationale is straightforward: communities where fewer individuals pursue higher education, work the fewest hours, and have limited workforce participation are likely to exhibit a less ambitious ethos.

We ranked 59 places in Arizona with populations exceeding 5,000 based on these criteria, with 1 representing the “least ambitious.” The town with the lowest average ranking was crowned the “Least Ambitious Place in Arizona,” and Queen Creek earned this title.

Refer to the detailed chart below for insights into why each location ranked as it did.

1. Queen Creek

Queen Creek - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 28,529 College Educated: 37.7%
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%

2. Maricopa

Maricopa - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 45,388 College Educated: 25.6%
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

3. Gilbert

Population: 223,131 College Educated: 40.3%
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

4. Litchfield Park

Litchfield Park - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,122 College Educated: 41.9%
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%

5. Marana

Marana - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 37,028 College Educated: 40.1%
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%

6. Chandler

Chandler - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 245,231 College Educated: 39.7%
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

7. Goodyear

Goodyear - Least Ambitious Arizona

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 70,148 College Educated: 27.0%
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%

8. Sahuarita

Population: 26,441 College Educated: 35.2%
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%

9. Cave Creek

Population: 5,014 College Educated: 49.8%
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

10. Peoria

Population: 160,231 College Educated: 27.5%
Unemployment Rate: 7.6%

Assessing the Ambition Levels in Arizona

As previously mentioned, determining the least ambitious places in Arizona can be a subjective endeavor. However, when considering factors such as reduced work hours, limited educational attainment, and low workforce engagement, this list accurately reflects communities with a more relaxed approach to work.

Comprehensive List of the Least Ambitious Places in Arizona

City Rank Population College Educated Unemployment Rate
Queen Creek 1 28,529 37.7% 4.2%
Maricopa 2 45,388 25.6% 7.4%
Gilbert 3 223,131 40.3% 6.3%
Litchfield Park 4 5,122 41.9% 3.2%
Marana 5 37,028 40.1% 7.3%
Chandler 6 245,231 39.7% 6.7%
Goodyear 7 70,148 27.0% 6.6%
Sahuarita 8 26,441 35.2% 3.8%
Cave Creek 9 5,014 49.8% 6.3%
Peoria 10 160,231 27.5% 7.6%
Paradise Valley 11 13,243 70.6% 3.3%
Scottsdale 12 223,519 53.2% 6.3%
Buckeye 13 54,927 16.2% 9.0%
Avondale 14 77,912 18.9% 9.5%
Surprise 15 121,648 28.3% 9.4%
Oro Valley 16 41,493 50.8% 7.4%
Fountain Hills 17 23,051 45.2% 7.7%
Tempe 18 166,975 41.0% 9.0%
Phoenix 19 1,490,758 26.5% 9.9%
Glendale 20 231,978 21.6% 11.1%
El Mirage 21 32,600 14.0% 9.1%
Mesa 22 452,091 24.3% 9.1%
Snowflake 23 5,595 18.2% 5.7%
Flagstaff 24 67,419 42.8% 8.5%
Sierra Vista 25 45,365 31.4% 8.2%
Page 26 7,374 20.3% 9.6%
Wickenburg 27 6,629 21.1% 7.1%
Tucson 28 525,031 25.0% 12.1%
Chino Valley 29 10,879 16.4% 7.9%
Payson 30 15,234 21.5% 8.9%
Globe 31 7,463 18.3% 8.2%
Tolleson 32 6,707 8.3% 16.1%
Casa Grande 33 50,316 17.7% 11.7%
Prescott Valley 34 39,575 18.3% 10.0%
Sedona 35 10,092 47.1% 8.9%
Bisbee 36 5,475 27.6% 6.8%
San Luis 37 30,139 8.6% 17.2%
Holbrook 38 5,003 15.1% 11.9%
Yuma 39 93,078 16.1% 12.4%
Somerton 40 14,679 6.6% 17.0%
Youn 41 6,299 14.2% 15.3%
Coolidge 42 12,058 10.2% 13.4%
Florence 43 26,513 7.7% 7.2%
Camp Verde 44 10,965 15.1% 12.7%
Eloy 45 17,062 6.3% 19.7%
Prescott 46 40,130 38.4% 11.2%
Benson 47 5,075 19.2% 10.7%
Nogales 48 20,699 14.8% 14.9%
Safford 49 9,574 13.3% 13.2%
Kingman 50 28,381 13.7% 11.0%
Guadalupe 51 5,892 5.6% 16.3%
South Tucson 52 5,675 4.3% 20.8%
Apache Junction 53 36,965 12.9% 16.3%
Winslow 54 9,570 10.8% 15.5%
Show Low 55 10,754 16.5% 16.1%
Cottonwood 56 11,358 16.1% 12.2%
Lake Havasu City 57 52,827 14.5% 10.8%
Bullhead City 58 39,480 13.1% 14.5%
Douglas 59 17,137 9.6% 12.2%

In conclusion, while the determination of the least ambitious places in Arizona may appear subjective, the data-driven approach we utilized provides a clear perspective on community work ethic. By examining key factors such as work hours, educational level, and unemployment, we present an accurate reflection of the local attitudes that shape ambition in these towns.

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Author

John McLean

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