Should I Move To
Surprise, Arizona comes in at about 145,591 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 10% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,822/mo, and the median household income is about $87,756. Overall, 46/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #642 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 110 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $1,822/mo and median household income at $87,756, housing takes about 25% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $352,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect hot-summer weather — summers near 105°F, winters around 47°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 7 inches annually. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. On the safer side of the national distribution, though not by a huge margin. AQI runs about 34 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Surprise is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
Surprise is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 35/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
Surprise is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 39/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
Surprise is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 35/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (91/100); the soft spot is walkability (0/100).
Our overall score for Surprise is 46/100 — a D, sitting at #642 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Surprise sits at 110 — expensive, 10% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,822 a month.
Surprise runs hot-summer on the weather. Summer's near 105°F, winter's near 47°F; 7 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 0/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 145,591 people live here, with 31% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 42.
Drop Surprise into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Surprise with other Arizona cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.