Safest Cities in Arizona

So you’re looking to live in the land of hot, sandy deserts, prickly cacti, red rocks, deep canyons, tall mountains and pine forests. But before you move to Arizona, you want to make sure you find the safest city possible. So, what are the safest cities in Arizona? We’ll break down the top 10 for you.

Top 10 Safest Cities in Arizona

Okay, here’s a quick view of the top 10 safest cities in Arizona:

1. Florence
2. Somerton
3. Prescott Valley
4. Sahuarita
5. Gilbert
6. San Luis
7. Paradise Valley
8. Maricopa
9. Lake Havasu City
10. Oro Valley

To rank these cities, we crunched data from the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Report.¹ If you’re curious about how we did this or want more info on the data, check out our methodology section below.

For a closer look at each of the 10 safest cities, we’ll share the total amount of crimes and law enforcement workers (per 1,000 residents in a year) and cover some cool facts about the area so you can see if you might like living there.

But before we start, know that the ultimate way to learn about any of these local areas is to talk to a real estate agent who actually lives in Arizona. The Arizona agents we trust are local experts and can tell you everything you’d want to know about each Arizona city—including the different neighborhoods, schools, commutes and cost of living.

Just keep in mind that certain laws like real estate steering prevent agents from giving their own personal advice or recommendations that could sway you. So keep doing your own research until you’re satisfied you’ve found a city you’re comfortable with.

Now rev up your dune buggy and let’s hit the desert!

1. Florence

Florence tops the charts as the city in Arizona with the lowest crime rate. Located about an hour southeast of Phoenix, Florence offers a small-town feel that’s full of history. Bustling your way through downtown Florence’s historic buildings will have you feeling like you just entered an old Western cowboy movie.

	Florence	Arizona	U.S.
Population*	26,385	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes**	1.67	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes**	2.80	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes**	4.472	28.963	24.774
Law Enforcement**	1.405	3.176	2.97

^{*For each city, the population includes only city limits (not the greater metro area) as reported by the FBI.}

^{**For each city, all crime and law enforcement numbers refer to the amount of crimes or law enforcement employees per 1,000 residents in a year.}

2. Somerton

Tucked away in the southwestern corner of Arizona on the outskirts of Yuma is the city of Somerton. Rich with Hispanic culture, the city celebrates the Somerton Tamale Festival in December. At the festival, families gather to warm their bellies with a wide variety of tamales, including ones made with sweet and traditional white corn, green chili, beef, chicken, and pork.⁸

Since we’re talking about safest cities, it’d be a miss not to mention that a popular place to visit near Somerton is Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park. Built in 1875, the prison is seen as a living museum of the Old West.⁹

	Somerton	Arizona	U.S.
Population	16,771	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	2.15	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	7.69	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	9.8410	28.9611	24.7712
Law Enforcement	1.1913	3.1714	2.915

3. Prescott Valley

Not to be confused with the city of Prescott, which is several miles west, Prescott Valley is situated somewhere between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. Prescott Valley is another one of the safest cities in Arizona. The area includes a public high school, a couple middle schools, six public elementary schools and a bunch of private and charter schools too.¹⁶

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In Prescott Valley, there are plenty of opportunities for the whole family to stay active with things like ballparks, swimming pools, golf courses and sports leagues. And of course, it also has fun trails to explore, like Glassford Hill Summit Trail—a two-mile hike with beautiful views that overlook the town.¹⁷ You might even get to see some deer, antelope or eagles. (Just look out for mountain lions!)

	Prescott Valley	Arizona	U.S.
Population	46,700	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	1.99	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	10.15	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	12.1418	28.9619	24.7720
Law Enforcement	1.9721	3.1722	2.923

4. Sahuarita

Just a little south of Tucson and a ways north of the Mexican border sits Sahuarita—a small town with the fourth-lowest Arizona crime rate. Sahuarita roughly translates to “little saguaro.”²⁴ It was named that because saguaro cacti can be found sprinkled throughout the area, inviting you with their wide open prickly arms to give them a hug. (But don’t do that.)

Another cool fact about living in Sahuarita is that you have the Titan Missile Museum right next door. As the only remaining Titan II missile launch site open to the public, the museum lets you step back in time to experience what it was like living during the Cold War.²⁵

	Sahuarita	Arizona	U.S.
Population	30,928	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	1.39	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	11.15	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	12.5426	28.9627	24.7728
Law Enforcement	1.7829	3.1730	2.931

5. Gilbert

Gilbert is a beautiful town located just southeast of Phoenix in the Valley of the Sun. As the fifth-largest city in Arizona, Gilbert has been recognized as a great place to raise a family and for ranking among the top school districts in America.³² Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza hosts what is probably one of the best farmers markets in the Phoenix metro area.

	Gilbert	Arizona	U.S.
Population	253,619	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	0.97	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	12.03	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	1333	28.9634	24.7735
Law Enforcement	1.6136	3.1737	2.938

6. San Luis

As part of the Yuma metro area, San Luis is just south of Somerton and another one of the safest cities to live in Arizona. Like Somerton, San Luis is rich with cultural appeal as it toes the line of the Mexican border. There are a ton of diverse markets along the border where you can purchase Mexican souvenirs. And with close proximity to lakes along the Colorado River, you’ll have plenty of chances to go fishing, swimming and water skiing during those 100-degree summers.³⁹

	San Luis	Arizona	U.S.
Population	34,192	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	0.97	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	12.28	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	13.2540	28.9641	24.7742
Law Enforcement	1.7343	3.1744	2.945

7. Paradise Valley

You knew a place with the name paradise had to make the list, right? Paradise Valley is northeast of Phoenix and is a pretty quiet area. That’s because most of the homes there are custom-built on massive private lots. And since these tend to be people’s second homes, the homeowners come in and out of town at different times throughout the year.

One downside is that this town is one of the most expensive places to live in Arizona. But if you’ve been following the Ramsey way—budgeting every dollar with discipline, living below your means, and building wealth like a Baby Steps Millionaire—then you might be ready to move to Paradise Valley and live and give like no one else!

	Paradise Valley	Arizona	U.S.
Population	14,733	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	0.68	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	10.93	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	11.6146	28.9647	24.7748
Law Enforcement	3.3949	3.1750	2.951

8. Maricopa

Just south of Phoenix sits the city of Maricopa. As the only city in the country bordered by two Native American communities, Maricopa is rich with an appreciation for cultural diversity. When the city was incorporated in 2003, the census listed it with a population of 1,040, which exploded to 15,934 during the next two years—making it one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. at the time.⁵² Maricopa offers stunning views of its evening sky. Living there gives you a front row seat to watch the desert sunset tuck itself beneath a silhouette of the rocky western mountains.

	Maricopa	Arizona	U.S.
Population	50,881	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	1.67	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	11.87	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	13.5453	28.9654	24.7755
Law Enforcement	1.7956	3.1757	2.958

9. Lake Havasu City

This city is located in western Arizona along the California border. As you might’ve guessed by the name, Lake Havasu City is one of Arizona’s best spots for water sports. The city’s beaches are surrounded by gorgeous mountain views, and the lake is a popular place to go fishing, paddle boarding, speed boating, jet skiing and even scuba diving!

	L.H.C.	Arizona	U.S.
Population	55,413	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	1.57	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	12.09	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	13.6659	28.9660	24.7761
Law Enforcement	1.9762	3.1763	2.964

10. Oro Valley

Just north of Tucson, Oro Valley closes out our list of safest places to live in Arizona. This town will take your breath away with its surrounding views of the Tortolita and Catalina Mountains and the Tucson skyline. Oro Valley offers tons of hiking paths for exploring and, thanks in part to its notable golf courses, is a great place to retire. The town is also earning a reputation as the “Upscale Tech Mecca of Southern Arizona” due to bioscience and high-tech companies bringing in quality jobs.⁶⁵

	Oro Valley	Arizona	U.S.
Population	45,970	7.3 million	328 million
Violent Crimes	0.48	4.55	3.67
Property Crimes	12.79	24.41	21.10
Total Crimes	13.2766	28.9667	24.7768
Law Enforcement	2.7469	3.1770	2.971

Now you know the 10 safest cities in the Grand Canyon State! Just remember, lists like this aren’t always the most accurate way to determine a city’s level of safety. So make sure to do enough research on the best places to live in Arizona to back up whatever you find online until you feel comfortable enough to make a decision.

Also, don’t forget to look into the cost of living in Arizona to make sure the city that interests you is affordable compared to where you live now. Safety and affordability are huge factors in where you call home. The biggest expense that’ll determine whether you can afford living somewhere new is the cost of housing.

 

Methodology Breakdown: Here’s How We Got Our Data

Methodology is just a nerdy term to describe the method we used to find and rank the safest cities in Arizona. To do this, we took official crime stats reported by the FBI for cities with at least 7,000 residents (excluding any cities with incomplete data).^72,73 The FBI splits crimes into two categories: 

• Violent crimes. These are defined as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.⁷⁴

• Property crimes. These include burglary, larceny (theft of personal property), motor vehicle theft and arson (setting fire to property).⁷⁵

We counted up how many of these crimes happened in each city per 1,000 residents. Then, we calculated how many full-time law enforcement employees work in each city per 1,000 residents. (We consider that the fewer law enforcement employees there are, the safer the city is—since the city doesn’t need as many.)

Finally, we combined the total crime rate and number of law enforcement employees per 1,000 residents to get each city’s safety score. The safest cities had the lowest scores. And—voila!—that’s how it’s done.