Best PlacesNorthern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, 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.
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff ranks 4,878th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on heat safety by a wide margin, and internet speeds rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
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.
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff's strengths and weaknesses
Where Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff ranks high
- Heat safetyBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Short commute15.4 minutes each way, better than 97% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than 86% of neighborhoods
Where Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff ranks low
- Internet speedBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- Household income$24,530 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
A household needs to earn about $147,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $24,530, 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 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff's effective rate of 0.38%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff 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 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.
Who works in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, and how
Work in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 34%
- Work from home 18%
- Transit, walk, or bike 48%
Life in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff has more restaurants and bars per resident than 71% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 78% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, month by month
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff sees roughly 135 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 85 degrees. January highs sit near 45, with lows near 16. The comfortable stretch runs June through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 30° | 16° |
| April | 63° | 46° | 27° |
| July | 85° | 68° | 52° |
| October | 67° | 49° | 31° |
Flying in and out of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
The nearest airport, Flagstaff Pulliam, is about 3 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 123 miles away.
The best schools in and around Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Schools across Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff average a D+, better than 22% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Weitzel's Puente De Hozho Bilingual Magnet SchoolC− · 30% proficient
- Lura Kinsey Elementary SchoolD− · 11% proficient
Top middle schools
- Mount Elden Middle SchoolD · 20% proficient
Top high schools
- Summit High SchoolD+ · 25% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff 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 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Is Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff ranks 4,878th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on heat safety, low property taxes, and short commutes, and lowest on internet speeds and an overheated housing market. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $596,749. The overall cost of living runs about 8% above the national average. Set against a $24,530 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff safe?
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff is safer than 48% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $485 per resident a year.
Compare Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff 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.
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff 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.