Arizona city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Surprise?

What it costs to live in Surprise, and how it compares with other Arizona cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

63

12th best value in Arizona

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Arizona cities.

Overall livability

61

17th overall in Arizona

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Surprise is home to about 141,875 people. A typical home runs $282,300 and a household earns around $76,600, a price-to-income ratio of 3.7. Among Arizona's largest cities, it ranks 12th for value and 17th overall. For context, the typical Surprise home is about 35% below the statewide median of $437,000 and local household income is about 12% above the statewide median of $68,100.

Surprise at a glance

Median home price

$282,300

29th in AZ of 49

Median rent

$1,627/mo

Median household income

$76,600

Home price to income

3.7x

Unemployment

4.7%

13th in AZ of 49

School rating

7/10

17th in AZ of 49

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‹ See all top Arizona cities ranked  ยท  Arizona state profile ›

More Arizona cities: Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Tucson

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI. City rankings are within Arizona only. Updated 2026.