Best PlacesWest University, Tucson, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West University, Tucson, 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.
West University, Tucson ranks 3,566th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on transit by a wide margin, and tree cover ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in West University, Tucson
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 University, Tucson's strengths and weaknesses
Where West University, Tucson ranks high
- TransitBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 86% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 177 pleasant days a year, better than 85% of neighborhoods
Where West University, Tucson ranks low
- Tree shadeBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Household income$36,087 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West University, Tucson
A household needs to earn about $91,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West University, Tucson home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $36,087, 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 West University, Tucson's effective rate of 0.65%, 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 West University, Tucson
West University, Tucson 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 West University, Tucson.
Who works in West University, Tucson, and how
Work in West University, Tucson centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 50%
- Work from home 21%
- Transit, walk, or bike 29%
Life in West University, Tucson
West University, Tucson has more restaurants and bars per resident than 86% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of West University, Tucson and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in West University, Tucson, month by month
West University, Tucson sees roughly 177 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 103 degrees. January highs sit near 68, with lows near 38. The comfortable stretch runs February through April, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 51° | 38° |
| April | 86° | 69° | 51° |
| July | 103° | 88° | 76° |
| October | 89° | 73° | 58° |
Flying in and out of West University, Tucson
The nearest airport, Tucson International, is about 8 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 103 miles away.
The best schools in and around West University, Tucson
Schools across West University, Tucson average a C+, better than 69% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Roskruge Bilingual Magnet Middle SchoolD · 18% proficient
- Cragin Elementary SchoolD− · 11% proficient
Top middle schools
- Paulo Freire Freedom School - UniversityC− · 30% proficient
- Ida Flood Dodge Traditional Middle Magnet SchoolC− · 28% proficient
Top high schools
- University High SchoolA+ · 90% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West University, Tucson school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West University, Tucson 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 University, Tucson against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in West University, Tucson
Is West University, Tucson a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West University, Tucson ranks 3,566th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on transit, cell coverage, and biking, and lowest on tree cover and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West University, Tucson expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $357,152. The overall cost of living runs about 6% below the national average. Set against a $36,087 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is West University, Tucson safe?
West University, Tucson is safer than 13% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $890 per resident a year.
Compare West University, Tucson with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West University, Tucson. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West University, Tucson 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 University, Tucson detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West University, Tucson: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West University, Tucson: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West University, Tucson: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West University, Tucson: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West University, Tucson 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.