City Profile

Goodyear, Arizona

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Goodyear, Arizona is a rapidly expanding suburban city located in Maricopa County, roughly 17 miles west of downtown Phoenix within the Greater Phoenix West Valley. Originally established in 1917 by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to cultivate agricultural land for long-staple cotton used in tire manufacturing, the community has evolved into a vibrant, master-planned economic powerhouse. Today, it stands out for its exceptional planning, master-planned communities like Palm Valley and Estrella, and a distinct blend of scenic desert vistas and modern infrastructure.

People are drawn to Goodyear by its promise of high quality of life, robust master-planned housing developments, top-tier public safety, and expansive employment opportunities. As part of the West Valley's phenomenal growth boom, the city welcomes thousands of new residents seeking relative affordability compared to inner-core Phoenix, alongside extensive recreational amenities. From spring training baseball at Goodyear Ballpark to outdoor adventure in the nearby Estrella Mountain Regional Park, Goodyear offers an appealing mix of suburban calm and active lifestyle options.

About Arizona

Arizona offers a diverse landscape, from low-elevation deserts to mountainous regions, and is known for its abundant sunshine, averaging around 300 sunny days per year. The state's economy is moderately diverse, with major industries including manufacturing (especially aerospace, defense, transportation, and electronics), healthcare, real estate, tourism, technology, bioscience, agriculture (cotton, citrus), and mining (copper). While the cost of living in Arizona is generally higher than the national average, particularly for housing, the state's mild winters and opportunities for outdoor activities contribute to an appealing lifestyle for many.

125,359

Population

$68K

Avg Salary

103

Cost Index

71.8

Quality Score

How this 72/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 82 / 100	82.0	30%	24.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 103.0	40.0	25%	10.0
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $103,319 Income needed to live here: $60,000 Unemployment rate: 5.4%	78.8	20%	15.8
Growth	Population growth rate: 4.1% Job growth rate: 3.2%	92.0	15%	13.8
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 76 / 100	76.0	10%	7.6
Overall score				71.8

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 3 (deep think) (q=61, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 11 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Goodyear runs moderately higher than the national average, largely influenced by the rapid real estate appreciation and strong economic momentum across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Housing costs—both for purchasing single-family homes and renting modern apartments—are a primary driver of household budgets, tracking noticeably above national baselines. However, residents generally experience favorable utility, transportation, and grocery pricing relative to coastal metropolitan hubs, keeping day-to-day living expenses manageable.

Compared to neighboring central Phoenix communities, Goodyear offers a favorable value proposition, balancing higher median household earnings with master-planned community amenities. While property taxes and general consumer goods reflect standard Arizona metro patterns, the strong local median income helps insulate residents against inflationary pressures. Consequently, families and professionals find that the local cost structure corresponds well to the upscale suburban infrastructure and municipal services provided.

Average Rent

$2,150/mo

Groceries

$400/mo

Transport

$130/mo

Utilities

$180/mo

Healthcare

$230/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$14.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$25.00

Monthly groceries

$400.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$150.00

Income

Salary Insights

Goodyear boasts a dynamic and diversified job market that has successfully transitioned from an agricultural base into a thriving hub for advanced manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, and healthcare. Major employers anchor robust employment corridors along Interstate 10, the Loop 303, and the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport, featuring national corporate footprints such as Amazon, UPS, Microsoft data centers, Sub-Zero, and Abrazo Health. The city's aggressive economic development strategy and Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designations continue to attract high-tech manufacturing and commercial facilities.

In addition to corporate logistics and manufacturing operations, the local professional services, education, and healthcare sectors offer expanding employment paths for residents. The city has experienced an increase in local job creation, successfully improving the jobs-to-population balance and reducing out-commuting times for many workers. While remote work is widely supported by the tech and corporate infrastructure present throughout the West Valley, Goodyear's local business parks continue to generate steady economic resilience and career opportunities.

The average salary in Goodyear is $68,000 per year. You would need approximately $60,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Advanced Manufacturing +3.20% Healthcare and Social Assistance +3.80% Aerospace and Defense +2.80% Logistics and Distribution +4.50% Professional and Technical Services +3.50%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

Avg Temp

☀️

Summer High

❄️

Winter Low

🌧️

Annual Rain

💧

30.00%

Humidity

🌤️

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Transportation in Goodyear is heavily oriented toward automobile travel, supported by a modern grid of wide multi-lane thoroughfares and direct access to Interstate 10 and the Loop 303 freeway. While the car dependency rate remains high due to the sprawling suburban layout, the strategic freeway access enables efficient commuting toward downtown Phoenix, Glendale, and other West Valley employment hubs. Average commute times are comparable to regional averages, benefiting from well-designed arterial roadways that handle traffic flow smoothly during peak hours.

Public transit options are relatively limited compared to core urban centers, though regional bus connections and localized circulator services provide baseline connectivity. Walkability varies by neighborhood; newer master-planned developments feature internal trail systems and commercial hubs within walking distance, but general errands typically require a vehicle. Infrastructure investments continue to focus on expanding bike lane networks, improving intersection signaling, and preparing regional transit corridors for future growth.

27 min

Avg Commute

38.00/10

Transit Score

42.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Rapid population and economic growth fueled by major employers like Amazon and Microsoft data centers.

Exceptional public safety record with crime rates well below national and state averages.

High median household income exceeding $103,000, reflecting a prosperous local economy.

Abundant recreational amenities, including Estrella Mountain Regional Park and Goodyear Ballpark.

Modern master-planned communities offering well-maintained parks, trails, and family infrastructure.

Drawbacks

High summer temperatures regularly exceeding 100°F require climate-controlled indoor living for months at a time.

Significant car dependency with limited public mass transit options across the sprawling suburban layout.

Rising housing costs and home values that challenge affordability for first-time buyers.

Ongoing suburban construction and freeway expansion can create localized traffic congestion during peak hours.

Dry desert climate and low annual rainfall limit lush green spaces outside of irrigated municipal parks.

Head to Head

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Community Q&A

Questions about Goodyear

What people ask about living in and moving to Goodyear, Arizona.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.