Best Places85233, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 85233, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
85233 ranks 1,648th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on the weather by a wide margin, and air quality ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 85233
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.
85233's strengths and weaknesses
Where 85233 ranks high
- Nice weatherabout 200 pleasant days a year, better than 97% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than 97% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than 97% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than 95% of zip codes
Where 85233 ranks low
- Air qualityBetter than only 2% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 4% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 10% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$1,109 a month, better than only 24% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 26% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 85233
A household needs to earn about $129,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 85233 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $116,099; the gap is small, which keeps homes within reach of local pay.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 85233's effective rate of 0.39%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 85233
85233's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 85233.
Who works in 85233, and how
Work in 85233 centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 73%
- Work from home 24%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in 85233
85233 has more parkland per resident than 87% of zip codes and more late-night spots per resident than 82% of zip codes. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 85233 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 85233, month by month
85233 sees roughly 200 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 85233
The nearest airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, is about 9 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 13 miles away.
The best schools in and around 85233
Schools across 85233 average an A−, better than 89% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Neely Traditional AcademyA+ · 82% proficient
- Chandler Traditional Academy - Liberty CampusA · 66% proficient
- Settlers Point ElementaryB+ · 54% proficient
Top middle schools
- Arizona College Prep Middle SchoolA+ · 88% proficient
- South Valley Jr. HighA− · 54% proficient
- Mesquite Jr High SchoolC · 32% proficient
Top high schools
- Arizona College Prep High SchoolA+ · 87% proficient
- Gilbert Classical Academy 7-12A+ · 81% proficient
- Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early CollegeC− · 30% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 85233 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
85233 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 85233 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 85233 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 88% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 24% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 85233
Is 85233 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 85233 ranks 1,648th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on the weather, cell coverage, and biking, and lowest on air quality and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 85233 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $520,905. The overall cost of living runs about 0% above the national average. Set against a $116,099 median income, cost of living beats 88% of zip codes.
Is 85233 safe?
85233 is safer than 45% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $359 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 85233?
July highs average about 107 degrees, and January highs near 66 with lows near 42. That works out to about 200 pleasant days a year, more than 97% of zip codes.
Is 85233 good for families?
Schools beat 89% of zip codes, crime safety beats 45%, and childcare runs $1,109 a month.
Compare 85233 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 85233. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 85233 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.
85233 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 85233: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 85233: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 85233: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 85233: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
85233 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.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- 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.