City Profile

Surprise, Arizona

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Surprise is a rapidly expanding suburban city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, roughly 45 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix. Founded in 1938 by Flora Mae Statler as a small agricultural settlement, the city has evolved into a vibrant and dynamic community in the West Valley. Today, Surprise offers residents a distinct small-town feel paired with modern master-planned neighborhoods, attracting a balanced mix of young families, working professionals, and active retirees.

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.

167,602

Population

$72K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

74.7

Quality Score

How this 75/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 85 / 100	85.0	30%	25.5
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 98.0	46.3	25%	11.6
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $96,711 Income needed to live here: $60,000 Unemployment rate: 4.2%	86.3	20%	17.3
Growth	Population growth rate: 3.31% Job growth rate: 2.8%	88.0	15%	13.2
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 72 / 100	72.0	10%	7.2
Overall score				74.7

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Gemini (ungrounded) (q=55, 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 Surprise sits slightly below or near the national average, making it an attractive and relatively affordable alternative to core metropolitan centers like Phoenix or Scottsdale. While housing and property values have appreciated significantly due to rapid population influx, everyday goods, utilities, and transportation expenses remain competitive. Residents benefit from Arizona's balanced tax structure, though summer cooling costs can temporarily inflate utility bills.

Average Rent

$2,100/mo

Groceries

$400/mo

Transport

$120/mo

Utilities

$180/mo

Healthcare

$220/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$14.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$22.00

Monthly groceries

$400.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$150.00

Income

Salary Insights

Surprise features a growing and diversified local economy anchored heavily by healthcare, retail trade, education, and manufacturing sectors. Major local employers include the Dysart Unified School District, local municipal operations, and expanding commercial hubs like the Prasada shopping district. Additionally, initiatives like the Spark Surprise business incubator foster an entrepreneurial spirit, while proximity to the broader Phoenix job market supports extensive commuting and remote work opportunities.

The average salary in Surprise is $72,000 per year. You would need approximately $60,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +2.10% Healthcare & Social Assistance +3.20% Educational Services +2.00% Finance & Insurance +2.50% Manufacturing & Construction +3.60%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

75°F

Avg Temp

☀️

106°F

Summer High

❄️

47°F

Winter Low

🌧️

10.70"

Annual Rain

💧

30.00%

Humidity

🌤️

330

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Surprise is heavily car-dependent, with major thoroughfares like U.S. Route 60 and Loop 303 facilitating regional transit across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Public transit options within the city limits are limited, meaning most residents rely on personal vehicles for daily commuting and errands. Average commute times generally align with regional suburban standards.

28 min

Avg Commute

35.00/10

Transit Score

40.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Ranks consistently among the top safest cities in Arizona with low violent crime rates.

Average rent and home prices remain more affordable compared to central Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Hosts Major League Baseball Spring Training at the state-of-the-art Surprise Stadium.

Median household income of $96,711 significantly outperforms the national and state averages.

Abundant sunshine with over 330 sunny days per year supporting an active outdoor lifestyle.

Drawbacks

High summer temperatures exceeding 106°F make outdoor activities difficult during peak afternoons.

High car dependency with limited public mass transit options within the city.

Rapid population growth has occasionally introduced traffic congestion along major commuter corridors.

Significant spike in summer electricity and cooling utility bills due to extreme desert heat.

Summer monsoon season can occasionally bring brief, intense dust storms and heavy rainfall.

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Community Q&A

Questions about Surprise

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

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Gathering the most common questions about Surprise…

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.

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Surprise, Arizona

Happening in Surprise

Businesses in Surprise

Quality Scores

Cost of Living

Salary Insights

Top Industries

Climate

Transport

Pros & Cons

Advantages

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Questions about Surprise

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Urblytica's Cost of Living Index calculated relative to the national baseline?

Where does Urblytica source its real estate and housing market data?

What criteria determine whether a city is eligible for a full Urblytica economic and lifestyle profile?

How are historical data revisions handled when federal or municipal agencies update past statistics?

How are U.S. federal income tax brackets and state income taxes integrated into Urblytica's U.S. affordability model?

What role do local property tax millage rates play in calculating U.S. cost-of-living scores?

How does Urblytica account for state-level sales tax and local excise tax variations across U.S. cities?

How are U.S. regional utility costs—such as electricity and natural gas—benchmarked across different climate zones?

Does Urblytica's U.S. cost-of-living index factor in employer-sponsored healthcare or out-of-pocket medical costs?

How does Urblytica measure U.S. school district performance and educational access?

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