City comparison
Queen Creek, AZ is about 60 miles (90 km) from Surprise, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Queen Creek, AZ to Surprise, AZ takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Surprise has a population of 145,591, vs 61,788 in Queen Creek — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Surprise covers about 110 sq mi vs 42 sq mi for Queen Creek.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Queen Creek | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,030/mo | $1,822/mo | 11.4% higher in Queen Creek |
| Median home value | $493,700 | $352,600 | 40.0% higher in Queen Creek |
| Median household income | $127,182 | $87,756 | 44.9% higher in Queen Creek |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 96.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Queen Creek, you'd need $99,440 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Surprise, AZ is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Queen Creek, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Queen Creek, you'd need about $79,552 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.