Best PlacesCentral Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Central Phoenix, Phoenix, 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.
Central Phoenix, Phoenix ranks 4,302nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and summer heat is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Central Phoenix, Phoenix
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.
Central Phoenix, Phoenix's strengths and weaknesses
Where Central Phoenix, Phoenix ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 207 pleasant days a year, better than 88% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 85% of neighborhoods
Where Central Phoenix, Phoenix ranks low
- Heat safetyBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Central Phoenix, Phoenix
A household needs to earn about $99,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Central Phoenix, Phoenix home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $62,532, so buying stretches a typical household.
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 Central Phoenix, Phoenix'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 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Central Phoenix, Phoenix
Central Phoenix, Phoenix runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Central Phoenix, Phoenix.
Who works in Central Phoenix, Phoenix, and how
Work in Central Phoenix, Phoenix centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment sits above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 71%
- Work from home 18%
- Transit, walk, or bike 12%
Life in Central Phoenix, Phoenix
Central Phoenix, Phoenix has more restaurants and bars per resident than 80% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 90% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of Central Phoenix, Phoenix and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Central Phoenix, Phoenix, month by month
Central Phoenix, Phoenix sees roughly 207 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 110 degrees. January highs sit near 69, with lows near 44. The comfortable stretch runs November through March.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 56° | 44° |
| April | 90° | 76° | 61° |
| July | 110° | 98° | 85° |
| October | 92° | 78° | 65° |
Flying in and out of Central Phoenix, Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor International sits about 4 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 25.2 million passengers in 2025, with 177 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around Central Phoenix, Phoenix
Schools across Central Phoenix, Phoenix average a C−, better than 27% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Madison Traditional AcademyA+ · 76% proficient
- Madison Richard Simis SchoolA · 64% proficient
- Alhambra Traditional SchoolA− · 60% proficient
Top middle schools
- Madison Meadows SchoolB · 44% proficient
- Madison #1 Elementary SchoolB− · 41% proficient
- Mckemy Academy Of International StudiesC+ · 37% proficient
Top high schools
- Arizona School For The ArtsB · 49% proficient
- Madison Highland PrepB · 48% proficient
- Shadow Mountain High SchoolC · 31% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Central Phoenix, Phoenix school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Central Phoenix, Phoenix 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 Central Phoenix, Phoenix against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Central Phoenix, Phoenix suits
Common questions about living in Central Phoenix, Phoenix
Is Central Phoenix, Phoenix a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Central Phoenix, Phoenix ranks 4,302nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low property taxes, cell coverage, and low disaster risk, and lowest on summer heat and tree cover. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Central Phoenix, Phoenix expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $401,236. The overall cost of living runs about 2% above the national average. Set against a $62,532 median income, cost of living beats 26% of neighborhoods.
Is Central Phoenix, Phoenix safe?
Central Phoenix, Phoenix is safer than 12% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $900 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Central Phoenix, Phoenix?
July highs average about 110 degrees, and January highs near 69 with lows near 44. That works out to about 207 pleasant days a year, more than 88% of neighborhoods.
Is Central Phoenix, Phoenix good for families?
Schools beat 27% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 12%, and childcare runs $1,109 a month.
Compare Central Phoenix, Phoenix with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Central Phoenix, Phoenix. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Central Phoenix, Phoenix 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.
Central Phoenix, Phoenix detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Central Phoenix, Phoenix: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Central Phoenix, Phoenix: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Central Phoenix, Phoenix: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Central Phoenix, Phoenix: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Central Phoenix, Phoenix 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.