Best Places85121, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 85121, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
85121 ranks 31,262nd of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and thin health care access ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 85121
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
85121's strengths and weaknesses
Where 85121 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 98% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 204 pleasant days a year, better than 98% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than 92% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 85% of zip codes
- Low property taxBetter than 82% of zip codes
Where 85121 ranks low
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 1% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 1% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 2% of zip codes
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 3% of zip codes
- Household income$36,813 median, better than only 3% of zip codes
Who lives in 85121
85121 runs younger than the country, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 85121.
Who works in 85121, and how
Work in 85121 centers on arts & entertainment and health care & social. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 96%
- Work from home 1%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 85121
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 85121.
What the weather is like in 85121, month by month
85121 sees roughly 204 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 107 degrees. January highs sit near 66, with lows near 42. The comfortable stretch runs November through March.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 56° | 42° |
| April | 87° | 76° | 58° |
| July | 107° | 98° | 84° |
| October | 89° | 79° | 62° |
Flying in and out of 85121
The nearest airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, is about 19 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 22 miles away.
The best schools in and around 85121
Schools across 85121 average a D−, better than 8% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Pima Butte Elementary SchoolB · 46% proficient
- Santa Rosa Elementary SchoolC · 33% proficient
- Santa Cruz Elementary SchoolC · 31% proficient
Top middle schools
- Desert Wind Middle SchoolD · 20% proficient
Top high schools
- Casa Grande Union High SchoolD · 22% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 85121 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
85121 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 85121 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 85121
Is 85121 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 85121 ranks 31,262nd of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, the weather, and cell coverage, and lowest on thin health care access and civic engagement. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 85121 safe?
85121 is safer than 9% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $641 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 85121?
July highs average about 107 degrees, and January highs near 66 with lows near 42. That works out to about 204 pleasant days a year, more than 98% of zip codes.
Compare 85121 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 85121. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 85121 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
85121 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 85121: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 85121: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 85121: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 85121: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
85121 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.