City comparison
San Tan Valley, AZ is about 60 miles (100 km) from Surprise, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 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 San Tan Valley, 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 101,207 in San Tan Valley — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Surprise covers about 110 sq mi vs 76 sq mi for San Tan Valley.
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 | San Tan Valley | Surprise | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,729/mo | $1,822/mo | 5.4% higher in Surprise |
| Median home value | $304,000 | $352,600 | 16.0% higher in Surprise |
| Median household income | $88,466 | $87,756 | 0.8% higher in San Tan Valley |
| 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 San Tan Valley, you'd need $100,255 in Surprise to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Tan Valley and Surprise have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in San Tan Valley, you'd need about $80,204 in Surprise to keep the same standard of living.