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Best Places to Live in Arizona

Ashwini Kulkarni Sule
Arizona is one of the most beautiful, safest, and cheapest states to live in the United States. So, in case you are planning to move there, this article should help you.
The state of Arizona, located at the south west of the USA, is blessed with nice sunny weather, picturesque desert valleys, and ample natural resources. In the past decade, this state has evolved into an economic hub with various medical and science institutions.
It offers excellent living conditions, fantastic infrastructure, and safe neighborhoods. The cost of living here is also comparatively lesser than that in some other states. Needless to say, this state has emerged as a haven for middle class families.

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Here, we have listed a few best places to live in Arizona, based on infrastructure, housing cost, educational facilities, and other amenities.

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Phoenix and Tucson are the two major cities in Arizona. The places mentioned in the following list are either suburbs of Phoenix or Tucson or towns located in the close vicinity of these two metropolitan centers.

Gilbert, Maricopa County

Gilbert has been recognized as one of the best places to live in the USA. It is located at 22 miles southeast of the city of Phoenix. It has rapidly evolved from an agricultural center to an economically diverse suburb.
Gilbert is clean, safe, and boasts about 100 parks and numerous private and public golf courses. The population of this town has gone up from 5,717 in 1980, 208,453 in 2010 and to 237,133 in 2016 (estimate). It is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country.

Scottsdale, Maricopa County

Scottsdale is located only 12 miles from the city of Phoenix. Scottsdale is an affluent city with many upscale restaurants, shopping malls, clubs etc. Due to high median income, this place also happens to be one of the most expensive cities in Arizona.
It offers excellent educational facilities, medical centers, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. It is fondly called a desert version of South Beach, Miami.

Chandler, Maricopa County

This is a suburb of Phoenix, with a population of 247,477 (2016 estimate). It houses many corporations, like Intel, Orbital Science, etc. In fact, these companies have tremendously contributed to the growth of this city.

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Flagstaff, Coconino

Flagstaff is located to the northern of Arizona, comparatively far away from Phoenix (147 miles) and Tucson (262 miles). This is a safe city with relatively lower crime rate. The economy of Flagstaff depends upon various sectors, such as tourism, government, education, and transportation. The estimated population of this city is 71,459 (2016 estimate).

Oro Valley, Pima County

Oro Valley is a suburb of Tucson, located only 6 miles from the main city of Tucson. This is an emerging center for information technology and biotechnolgy. Population of Oro Valley is about 43,781 (2016 estimate). It has a very low crime rate.

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Tempe, Maricopa County

Tempe is one of the best places to live for families with kids. It is also a home for many big corporate houses, including headquarters of one Fortune 500 company. It boasts excellent education, medical centers, and recreational facilities.
Besides the above mentioned places, one can also consider the following options:
  • Peoria, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties
  • Goodyear, Maricopa County
  • Prescott, Yavapai County
  • Surprise, Maricopa County
  • Queen Creek, Maricopa and Pinal Counties
  • Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai counties
  • Fountain Hills, Maricopa County
  • Cave Creek, Maricopa County
  • Litchfield Park, Maricopa County
  • Marana, Pima County
  • Sierra Vista, Cochise County
  • Paradise Valley, Maricopa County
  • Sahuarita, Pima County
Arizona is indeed one of the best states to live in the USA. Besides, the culture here is very friendly and warm. No wonder many easterners fall for the laidback charm of this beautiful state.