These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In Arizona

Top 10 Most Successful Cities in Arizona for 2026

Success can take many forms. For some, it’s the size of their bank account; for others, it’s the thrill of delivering an outstanding presentation or even sharing a great story with friends.

But success is often more complex—an abstract concept that’s difficult to define, measure, or quantify.

At Zippia, we enjoy diving into measurable data. Using objective metrics, we’ve identified the 10 most successful cities in Arizona for 2026. Here’s our list:

If you’re already questioning our rankings, stay with us for a deeper insight into our methodology.

For further reading about Arizona, check out:

Determining Arizona’s Most Successful Cities

When evaluating success, many people think primarily of wealth. It’s a common assumption that financial prosperity equates to success.

However, we believe there’s more to it. For our analysis, we utilized data from the latest American Community Survey, focusing on criteria like median income, poverty rates, and unemployment rates.

1. Litchfield Park

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,122
Median Income: $76,290
Poverty Level: 3.6%
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%

2. Queen Creek

Population: 28,529
Median Income: $83,809
Poverty Level: 6.7%
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%

3. Paradise Valley

Population: 13,243
Median Income: $134,097
Poverty Level: 8.6%
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%

4. Gilbert

Population: 223,131
Median Income: $81,485
Poverty Level: 6.4%
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

5. Sahuarita

Population: 26,441
Median Income: $65,183
Poverty Level: 5.0%
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%

6. Marana

Population: 37,028
Median Income: $74,817
Poverty Level: 4.2%
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%

7. Cave Creek

Population: 5,014
Median Income: $78,972
Poverty Level: 8.1%
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

8. Oro Valley

Population: 41,493
Median Income: $74,480
Poverty Level: 6.0%
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%

9. Fountain Hills

Population: 23,051
Median Income: $72,462
Poverty Level: 6.3%
Unemployment Rate: 7.7%

10. Chandler

Population: 245,231
Median Income: $72,072
Poverty Level: 8.5%
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

Understanding Success Metrics

If you’re still pondering whether metrics like income and unemployment can truly define a city’s success, you’re not alone in that sentiment.

Nevertheless, we’re committed to using data to drive our conclusions. Congratulations to Litchfield Park and all the cities that made our list. For those that didn’t, there’s always next year!

Detailed Rankings of Arizona’s Most Successful Cities

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Litchfield Park	$76,290	3.6%	3.2%
2	Queen Creek	$83,809	6.7%	4.2%
3	Paradise Valley	$134,097	8.6%	3.3%
4	Gilbert	$81,485	6.4%	6.3%
5	Sahuarita	$65,183	5.0%	3.8%
6	Marana	$74,817	4.2%	7.3%
7	Cave Creek	$78,972	8.1%	6.3%
8	Oro Valley	$74,480	6.0%	7.4%
9	Fountain Hills	$72,462	6.3%	7.7%
10	Chandler	$72,072	8.5%	6.7%
11	Scottsdale	$72,455	8.8%	6.3%
12	Maricopa	$65,214	6.0%	7.4%
13	Goodyear	$70,293	9.4%	6.6%
14	Snowflake	$60,886	10.8%	5.7%
15	Peoria	$63,025	9.5%	7.6%
16	Sierra Vista	$58,818	12.2%	8.2%
17	Surprise	$59,094	10.5%	9.4%
18	Sedona	$50,133	10.9%	8.9%
19	Buckeye	$58,703	13.2%	9.0%
20	Florence	$48,503	16.8%	7.2%
21	Avondale	$57,170	14.9%	9.5%
22	Mesa	$48,259	15.7%	9.1%
23	El Mirage	$47,564	16.4%	9.1%
24	Page	$54,208	18.5%	9.6%
25	Chino Valley	$43,238	17.0%	7.9%
26	Payson	$42,987	16.2%	8.9%
27	Globe	$42,639	16.7%	8.2%
28	Wickenburg	$38,916	19.7%	7.1%
29	Tempe	$48,183	23.7%	9.0%
30	Flagstaff	$48,120	26.2%	8.5%
31	Phoenix	$46,881	20.5%	9.9%
32	Prescott Valley	$42,973	16.2%	10.0%
33	Glendale	$46,855	19.5%	11.1%
34	Safford	$46,140	15.5%	13.2%
35	Lake Havasu City	$42,718	15.9%	10.8%
36	Casa Grande	$44,719	16.8%	11.7%
37	Yuma	$44,166	16.2%	12.4%
38	Bisbee	$33,722	26.1%	6.8%
39	Prescott	$45,190	21.0%	11.2%
40	Kingman	$42,859	22.5%	11.0%
41	Holbrook	$43,705	24.1%	11.9%
42	Benson	$36,184	24.1%	10.7%
43	Show Low	$39,795	17.2%	16.1%
44	Tucson	$37,149	24.5%	12.1%
45	Bullhead City	$37,121	20.6%	14.5%
46	Winslow	$40,556	20.9%	15.5%
47	Youn	$35,737	20.7%	15.3%
48	Coolidge	$40,875	27.9%	13.4%
49	Cottonwood	$32,712	25.9%	12.2%
50	Apache Junction	$36,771	24.3%	16.3%
51	Camp Verde	$35,809	32.4%	12.7%
52	Douglas	$26,222	30.4%	12.2%
53	Guadalupe	$29,517	22.7%	16.3%
54	Tolleson	$34,485	27.2%	16.1%
55	Nogales	$27,567	29.2%	14.9%
56	San Luis	$31,064	26.5%	17.2%
57	Somerton	$31,178	28.1%	17.0%
58	Eloy	$27,701	31.6%	19.7%
59	South Tucson	$23,778	42.8%	20.8%

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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