Best PlacesPalm Springs, Apache Junction, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Palm Springs, Apache Junction, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Palm Springs, Apache Junction ranks 4,168th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cell coverage by a wide margin, and tree cover ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Palm Springs, Apache Junction
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.
Palm Springs, Apache Junction's strengths and weaknesses
Where Palm Springs, Apache Junction ranks high
- Cell coverageBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Local economyBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 87% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 186 pleasant days a year, better than 86% of neighborhoods
Where Palm Springs, Apache Junction ranks low
- Tree shadeBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Palm Springs, Apache Junction
A household needs to earn about $62,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Palm Springs, Apache Junction home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $61,847; 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 Palm Springs, Apache Junction's effective rate of 0.57%, 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 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Palm Springs, Apache Junction
Palm Springs, Apache Junction runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Palm Springs, Apache Junction.
Who works in Palm Springs, Apache Junction, and how
Work in Palm Springs, Apache Junction centers on retail trade 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 94%
- Work from home 4%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in Palm Springs, Apache Junction
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across Palm Springs, Apache Junction.
What the weather is like in Palm Springs, Apache Junction, month by month
Palm Springs, Apache Junction sees roughly 186 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 106 degrees. January highs sit near 65, with lows near 41. The comfortable stretch runs February through April, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65° | 52° | 41° |
| April | 86° | 71° | 56° |
| July | 106° | 94° | 82° |
| October | 89° | 74° | 61° |
Flying in and out of Palm Springs, Apache Junction
The nearest airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, is about 10 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 27 miles away.
The best schools in and around Palm Springs, Apache Junction
Schools across Palm Springs, Apache Junction average a D, better than 11% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Desert Vista Elementary SchoolD · 21% proficient
Top middle schools
- Cactus Canyon Junior HighD− · 17% proficient
Top high schools
- Apache Junction High SchoolD− · 13% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Palm Springs, Apache Junction school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Palm Springs, Apache Junction 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 Palm Springs, Apache Junction against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Palm Springs, Apache Junction
Is Palm Springs, Apache Junction a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Palm Springs, Apache Junction ranks 4,168th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cell coverage, a strong job market, and low crime, and lowest on tree cover and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Palm Springs, Apache Junction expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $246,562. The overall cost of living runs about 3% below the national average. Set against a $61,847 median income, cost of living beats 27% of neighborhoods.
Is Palm Springs, Apache Junction safe?
Yes, Palm Springs, Apache Junction is safer than 89% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $258 per resident a year.
Compare Palm Springs, Apache Junction with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Palm Springs, Apache Junction. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Palm Springs, Apache Junction 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.
Palm Springs, Apache Junction detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Palm Springs, Apache Junction: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Palm Springs, Apache Junction: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Palm Springs, Apache Junction: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Palm Springs, Apache Junction: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Palm Springs, Apache Junction 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.