When you’re looking for the perfect place for your family to live, your kids come first. You probably want a safe place with great local amenities and good public schools. You may want a tiny close-knit community, or you might prefer a nice mid-sized city.
That’s why we narrowed down the top 10 places near
Phoenix to raise a family. In these Phoenix suburbs, all your family friendly requirements can be checked off your list.
Let’s take a look at our 10 winners.
1. Paradise Valley
Key Stats:
- Average commute time: 20 minutes
- Median household income: $125,880
- Unemployment rate: 3.6 percent
Kicking off our list of the best Phoenix suburbs to raise a family is scenic Paradise Valley. Beautiful southwest style single-family homes give residents plenty of space to spread out.
Nearby Echo Canyon Park has hiking trails and a recreation area for a day of family fun surrounded by natural beauty, while the Phoenix Swim Club is the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day.
2. Gilbert
Key Stats:
- GreatSchools.org score: 8.2 out of 10
- Median household income: $80,335
With a population of just over 215,000, Gilbert is a thriving city with all the amenities a family could need. Home buyers will have their pick of Southwest style single-family homes or condos with onsite amenities like pools and recreation rooms.
Local playground, Freestone Park, is perfect for a day of family fun, while indoor facilities like arcade and bowling alley FlipSide are great spots for birthday parties and events. Gilbert’s outdoor mall, SanTan Village, is a convenient spot to shop with the kids.
3. Cave Creek
Key Stats:
- GreatSchools.org score: 10 out of 10
- Total crimes per 100k: 1,262
Families searching for a small, close-knit community will love the rural Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek, where they’ll find single-family homes with gorgeous mountain views.
Residents enjoy a range things to do, from horseback riding at the Cave Creek Trail Rides, to shopping and dining in the unique 1800s themed Frontier Town.
This suburb offers great opportunities for education, since the average rating is 10 out of 10 for
Cave Creek schools on GreatSchools.org.
4. Litchfield Park
Key Stats:
- Total crimes per 100k: 1,262
- Unemployment rate: 3.7 percent
The fourth suburb on our list, Litchfield Park, is another small, close-knit community of just over 5,000 residents. Home buyers will find new construction homes and condos with on site amenities.
Channel your kids’ energy and keep them entertained at the Elite Taekwondo Academy, or enjoy family friendly dining spots like Park Cafe and Barro’s Pizza. With just 1,262 total crimes per 100,000 people, the third lowest of any place we ranked, Litchfield Park parents can sleep soundly at night.
5. Chandler
Key Stats:
- Average commute time: 24 minutes
- Greatschools.org score: 7.7 out of 10
The city of Chandler has over 241,00 residents and plenty of family fun to offer. Home buyers will find plenty of affordable single family homes with room to spread out.
Enjoy a day of indoor fun at Xtreme Air Park, a local trampoline park, or beat the Arizona heat at Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center. Local restaurant, Fired Pie, serves up build-your-own pizzas with fresh ingredients that are sure to please kids and adults alike, and the Chandler Fashion Center is a convenient spot for back-to-school shopping.
6. Fountain Hills
Key Stats:
- GreatSchools.org score: 8 out of 10
- Total crimes per 100k: 1,630
Fountain Hills is the perfect place for desert living and great amenities. Single-family homes with plenty of room to grow are common in this Phoenix suburb.
Disc golf courses, hiking trails, a lake, and a playground at Fountain Park are perfect for a day of family fun outside.
7. Scottsdale
Key Stats:
- GreatSchools.org score: 8.1 out of 10
- Average commute time: 22 minutes
Seventh on our list Phoenix suburbs is Scottsdale, a thriving city in its own right. Home buyers have their pick of single-family homes, from modern architecture to traditional Southwest style homes.
Ride on the carousel or trains, romp on the playground, and stroll through the museum at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, or go horseback riding at the scenic MacDonald’s Ranch.
With an average GreatSchools.org rating of “above average” for the entire city, parents can rest assured that their children are getting an excellent education at
Scottsdale schools.
8. Tempe
Key Stats:
- Average commute time: 20 minutes
- PlayScore rating: 80 out of 100
The thriving small city of Tempe earned the eighth spot on our list, with plenty of single-family homes in a variety of architectural styles for potential home buyers. With an average commute time of just 20 minutes, you’ll have a little extra time in the evenings for family dinners.
The Sea Life Arizona Aquarium is the perfect spot for educational family fun, while the Phoenix Rock Gym is a great way to burn off energy and stay active as a family. Residents are also close to the Tempe Marketplace, which has live music on weekends, and is a convenient spot for back-to-school shopping.
9. Mesa
Key Stats:
- Average commute time: 25 minutes
- Cost of living: 95, compared to the Phoenix average of 96
With a population of over 447,000, the city of Mesa is a great spot for families that want a big city experience but not the overwhelming size of Phoenix. Home buyers will find a range of options, from modern townhouses with on site amenities, to single-family homes on large lots.
Go horseback riding and learn about raising livestock at the Superstition Farm, or enjoy arcade games, bumper cars, and mini golf at Amazing Jake’s Food And Fun.
10. Carefree
Key Stats:
- Total crimes per 100k: 739
- Median household income: $80,234
Rounding out our list of the best places near Phoenix to raise a family is the tiny town of Carefree. Southwest style homes on large lots are common, giving families plenty of space to spread out.
Carefree has a population of just over 3,400, so it’s easy to get to know your neighbors in this close-knit community. With the second lowest crime rate of any place we ranked, Carefree parents can rest easy at night.
Our Methodology
To create this list of the best places near Phoenix to raise a family, we looked at the following criteria using data from the
U.S. Census,
PlayScore.org, GreatSchools.org, and
AreaVibes.
- PlayScore
- GreatSchools.org average score
- Total crimes per 100k
- Unemployment rate
- Average commute time
- Median household income
- Median monthly housing costs
We ranked each Phoenix suburb in the above categories, and then averaged those scores into one overall score. The suburbs with the lowest overall scores made our top 10.
Want to see how other Phoenix suburbs measured up? Check out the table below:
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