Is Surprise, AZ a Good Place to Live?
Surprise is a mid-sized city of 145,591 in Arizona, with a median household income of $87,756 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Surprise stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Surprise is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Surprise city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 101.2Surprise's overall cost of living index is 101.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Surprise costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Surprise, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $352,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,822 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $87,756 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeSurprise's violent crime rate is 109.1 per 100,000 residents — 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Surprise is served primarily by Dysart Unified District (4243). The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Surprise, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Dysart Unified District (4243) | — |
| Elementary Schools | 20 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 20.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 31.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Surprise sees average highs of 65.2°F in January and 104.6°F in July, with 9.9 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Surprise, AZ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 65.2°F |
| Average High — July | 104.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 9.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Surprise, AZ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 145,591 | — |
| Median Age | 41.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Surprise
Surprise, AZ is covered by 7 ZIP codes: