Best PlacesWest Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West Phoenix, Phoenix, 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.
West Phoenix, Phoenix ranks 4,763rd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and education levels rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in West 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.
West Phoenix, Phoenix's strengths and weaknesses
Where West Phoenix, Phoenix ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 202 pleasant days a year, better than 88% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
Where West Phoenix, Phoenix ranks low
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West Phoenix, Phoenix
A household needs to earn about $54,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West Phoenix, Phoenix home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $67,661, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
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 West Phoenix, Phoenix's effective rate of 0.40%, 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 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in West Phoenix, Phoenix
West Phoenix, Phoenix 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 West Phoenix, Phoenix.
Who works in West Phoenix, Phoenix, and how
Work in West Phoenix, Phoenix centers on construction and retail trade. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 86%
- Work from home 9%
- Transit, walk, or bike 5%
Life in West Phoenix, Phoenix
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across West Phoenix, Phoenix.
What the weather is like in West Phoenix, Phoenix, month by month
West Phoenix, Phoenix sees roughly 202 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 West Phoenix, Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor International sits about 9 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 West Phoenix, Phoenix
Schools across West Phoenix, Phoenix average a D, better than 11% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Augustus H. Shaw MontessoriB · 48% proficient
- Arizona Desert Elementary SchoolD+ · 22% proficient
- Sun Canyon SchoolD · 20% proficient
Top middle schools
- Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted AcademyD− · 15% proficient
- Kings Ridge SchoolD− · 13% proficient
- Santa Maria Middle SchoolF · 11% proficient
Top high schools
- University High SchoolA · 70% proficient
- South Ridge High SchoolD− · 18% proficient
- Franklin Police And Fire High SchoolF · 11% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West Phoenix, Phoenix school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West 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 West Phoenix, Phoenix against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in West Phoenix, Phoenix
Is West Phoenix, Phoenix a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West Phoenix, Phoenix ranks 4,763rd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low property taxes, cell coverage, and low disaster risk, and lowest on education levels and thin health care access. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West Phoenix, Phoenix expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $218,624. The overall cost of living runs about 4% below the national average. Set against a $67,661 median income, cost of living beats 29% of neighborhoods.
Is West Phoenix, Phoenix safe?
West Phoenix, Phoenix is safer than 47% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $515 per resident a year.
Compare West Phoenix, Phoenix with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West Phoenix, Phoenix. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West 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.
West Phoenix, Phoenix detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West Phoenix, Phoenix: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West Phoenix, Phoenix: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West Phoenix, Phoenix: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West Phoenix, Phoenix: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West 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.