Is Peoria, Arizona a Good Place to Live? (2025 Guide to Moving to Peoria, AZ)

Wondering if living in Peoria, Arizona is the right place to call home? If you're considering moving to Peoria, AZ or just curious about what it's like to live in Peoria, you're probably wondering if it's a good place to live. Living in Peoria, AZ offers a mix of suburban comfort, strong schools, and convenient access to the Phoenix metro area making it a top choice for anyone considering moving to Peoria, Arizona.

Now keep in mind I am a native of Arizona. I was born here, but my family moved chasing work in the construction industry.  I lived in Alaska for a hot cold minute when I was too young to remember and then spent about 10 years of my childhood in Killeen, Texas (how else do you get a name like Bobbi Kay?).  but other than that, I’ve been living in Arizona and specifically the west side of town for about 35 years now.

But you don’t have to just take my word for it.  Money Magazine ranked Peoria Arizona as the best place to live in Arizona in 2018, and the 29^th best place in the entire United States!

Overview of Peoria, Arizona

If you're thinking about moving to Peoria, AZ, you might picture it as being on the west side of the greater Phoenix area, but I suppose Peoria is firmly now considered the northwest part of Phoenix.  More of an emphasis on the north.  Peoria Arizona is like the northwest counterpart to Gilbert Arizona which is on the opposite southeast side of Phoenix. Both cities have a lot of similarities.

If you care to read it, here is the city of Peoria Master Plan through 2040.  This will give you a sense for the direction the Peoria city council has mapped out for the next 15 years.

What’s the Population of Peoria, AZ?

The Peoria, Arizona population is just over 200,000 residents in 2025.  But since most of the towns and cities that make up the greater Pheonix metropolitan area are all connected the population feels much bigger. Literally one side of a street will be Glendale, AZ and the other side of the street is Peoria, AZ.  The entire combined metro area has around 5 million people living here.

Transportation and Commute in Peoria

One of the perks of living in Peoria, Arizona is the easy commute, with convenient access to the 101 freeway which loops around the entire valley. While the Peoria residents that live further north can easily access the 303 freeway that both connect to the I-10 as well as the I-17 making it convenient for Peoria residents to get anywhere in the Valley.  In another 20 or 30 years Arizona will probably be building the Loop 404 even further out.

Peoria’s Lifestyle and Amenities

The lifestyle when living in Peoria, AZ is typically suburban.  There isn’t a vibrant downtown Peoria like you would imagine in other cities.  I think there is one bar, Coop’s Bar & Grill in the area that would be considered downtown Peoria.  The area around the city hall has a few coffee shops, a few restaurants, and then Wendy’s and Taco Bell.  I love me some Taco Bell, but if you are looking for urban city living, Peoria, AZ is not going to fit your needs like downtown Phoenix would.

If you're considering moving to Peoria, AZ, you'll love the range of amenities available, from parks to dining and entertainment. Here is a quick list of some highlights:

• Peoria’s large destination parks, Rio Vista Park, Pioneer Community Park, and Paloma Community Park each have over 50 acres of sport fields, urban lakes, splash pads, dog parks, and ramadas.
• There plenty of walking, biking, horseback riding trails along the New River and Skunk Creek washes, as well as mountain hiking trails in the northwest part of the city.
• Of course, there is the Peoria Sports Complex that hosts the Padres and Mariners for the MLB spring training.
• The Peoria Sports Complex is part of the larger P83 entertainment district which is home to the Arizona Broadway Theater, the AZ Ice Indoor Skating Rink, plus currently 32 different dining options from Chik-Fila-A and In-N-Out Burger to Postino’s Wine Café and Firebirds Steakhouse.  One of my favorite casual dining spots is Bubba’s 33 to grab a beer and watch the game. I’ve just always had good food there.
•  Other destination dining and shopping areas would be Park West, which is located very near to the Arizona Cardinals football stadium inside Westgate (another huge entertainment district, but technically located in Glendale), as well as the “Four Corners” at Lake Pleasant and Happy Valley roads.
• Which brings me to Lake Pleasant! The only natural lake in the greater Phoenix area is in Peoria.  Lake Pleasant has all the outdoor activities you’d imagine, boating, kayaking, fishing, camping, scuba diving, stand up paddle boarding, dinner cruises, and plenty of dining and adult beverages at the Pleasant Harbor or Scorpion Bay Marina.

I hate to sound cliché and say Peoria Arizona has it all.  But hear me out for a second.  Beyond all the entertainment, shopping, and dining, you might be thinking to yourself that Peoria Arizona doesn’t have things you might love or miss if you are moving away from another place.

Except… If you live in Peoria and love water activities, you are a 30 minute drive to Lake Pleasant. 

Peoria is a 90 minute drive to Prescott, AZ which has the same elevation as Denver, CO so you can easily spend the day or weekend in the cooler pines with the occasional light snow.

If you want to really participate in snow activities like skiing, snowboarding, etc. Then Flagstaff is a 2-hour drive from Peoria allowing you to get your fill of the cold weather, hot chocolate, sitting by the fire, and fun in the snow, but then you can turn around and go home instead of living in it.

Plus Sedona is also just a 2 hour drive which is considered one of the most beautiful places on Earth!  With plenty of awesome hiking and everything else nature lovers would love to do.

What about the ocean and the beach?  We don’t have that in Peoria.  True.  But a 3.5 hour drive straight south and you are relaxing on a Mexico beach with a cold beer (or margarita) and the best tacos. This might be controversial, but the Mexico beaches at Puerto Penasco are warmer, cleaner, without the morning gray haze, and with less people than the southern California beaches.  But if you love those California beaches (I do too), then you are a 6 hour drive to all the attractions there as well.  I think it takes the people that live in California almost 6 hours to get to the beach anyway with all the traffic there!

My point is that Peoria Arizona has nearby convenient access to everything from the beach to the slopes, and everything in between without having to pay the price to live at the beach, or the inconvenience of living in the snow.

What’s the Weather Like in Peoria, AZ?

There is a reason 5 million people choose to live here, I think it’s the 180 days of sunny skies.  And even that stat is misleading, there are probably another 180 days that are still sunny, but there are clouds in the sky too.  We average 36 days per year that gets some rainfall somewhere in the city, and even that is usually brief.  I joke that Peoria is so great because unlike other parts of the country we have no tornadoes, no hurricanes, no mud slides, no wildfires, no icy roads, no snow to clear, no need to warm up your car, you don’t even need to own a jacket.  Heck, we don’t even have humidity! We pretty much have no weather.  There is an occasional dust storm, a few thunderstorms per year, and um… sun.  That’s pretty much it.  If it’s hot out you can get in the pool or stay in the air conditioning.

One of the biggest perks of living in Peoria, Arizona is the sunny, mild weather (for half the year). Have I mentioned it’s a dry heat?

What’s the Cost of Living in Peoria, AZ?

A lot goes into the cost of living.  I think your best bet would be to look at a site like BestPlaces to click around on all the different cost of living factors.

One thing BestPlaces doesn’t cover is the low tax rates in Arizona which obviously factors into the cost of living.  Arizona has a flat state tax rate of 2.5%.  While Peoria doesn’t have a local tax rate, but does collect sales and property taxes.  The property tax rate in Peoria Arizona is 0.53% which is also considerably lower than the national average.  The low tax rates contribute to the continued economic growth as well as generally people’s desire to continue moving to Arizona.

If you're considering buying a home in Peoria, AZ, you'll find a wide range of options, from starter homes around $200,000 to luxury homes over $2.5 million. If you're considering buying a home in Peoria, AZ, I might be biased, but I think the best Realtor in Peoria Arizona is Bobbi K Herman with the BKH Group.  If you are looking to move to Peoria we can help you find the right fit.

Best Schools in Peoria, Arizona

That’s a tricky topic to cover these days.  Not because the schools aren’t great, but because the Arizona Dept. of Real Estate has particular rules about what a Peoria Arizona Real Estate agent can and can’t say about schools for compliance reasons.  I don’t want to get fined, so I’m just going to give you a link to Niche.com that has scores for all the elementary and high schools in Peoria.

Is Peoria Arizona Safe?

I suppose that’s subjective, and again compliance issues, but generally the crime statistics say that Peoria has less crime than the national averages.  If you look at crime incident maps you can see that most incidents occur along the freeways or in particular pockets. I had a car parked on the street that someone busted a window to steal the contents.  Lesson learned. It was a crime of opportunity.  As someone living in Peoria, Arizona, I've personally never felt unsafe, but I’m just one person.  Peoria did recently buy a helicopter for their police department.  It’s all the rage on the Ring doorbell app.  What’s going on? Why is there a helicopter circling over Bell Road?  One of the pilots is a personal friend of mine, Mike, so I joke that he is just getting his training flight time in.

Peoria Arizona Housing Market and Neighborhoods (March 2025)

Curious about the Peoria Arizona real estate market? If you're considering buying a home in Peoria, AZ or moving to Peoria, Arizona, let’s break down the latest numbers so you know exactly what to expect.

·         Months of Inventory: 5.7
At the current pace of sales, it would take 5.7 months to sell all the homes currently on the market. That’s a sign of a pretty balanced market—neither buyers nor sellers have a clear advantage right now.

·         Year-Over-Year Change in Inventory: +66.67%
Wow—that’s a big jump! The number of months of inventory has increased by nearly 67% compared to last year. This suggests the market might be shifting toward a more buyer-friendly environment, with more homes available and potentially more room for negotiation.

·         Median Days on Market: 51
Homes are selling in about 51 days on average. That’s relatively quick, which means demand is still strong despite the increase in inventory. If you find a home you love, don’t sit on it too long—it could be gone before you know it.

·         Sold-to-List Price Ratio: 99%
On average, homes are selling for 99% of their asking price. In other words, buyers are paying close to full price, which means sellers are pricing homes competitively, and buyers are stepping up to meet those prices.

·         Median Sold Price: $535,500
The median home price in Peoria is currently sitting at $535,500. That gives you a good sense of what you’ll need to budget if you’re planning to buy.

What Does This Mean for You?

Peoria’s housing market is holding steady, but that rise in inventory means buyers might have a little more negotiating power than last year. If you’re a buyer, this could be a great time to find a deal—but you’ll still need to act fast when the right house pops up. If you’re selling, pricing your home competitively will help you attract serious offers quickly.

Final Verdict: Is Peoria, Arizona a Good Place to Live?

So, is Peoria, Arizona a good place to live? If you’re looking for suburban comfort, great weather, access to outdoor activities, and relative proximity to both the mountains and the beach while benefiting from a lower cost of living and low state tax rates Peoria checks a lot of boxes.  It’s a city with strong schools, plenty of parks, and a growing entertainment and dining scene.

Of course, no place is perfect. If you crave a vibrant downtown with nightlife and walkability, Peoria might feel too quiet for you. But for those who value space, sunshine, and a laid-back lifestyle, Peoria offers a balanced mix of convenience and comfort.

Ultimately, Peoria strikes a unique balance of suburban charm with easy access to big-city amenities. If you’re considering moving to Peoria, Arizona, The BKH Group would love to help you find the perfect home in Peoria. Feel free to reach out. The mother daughter team at the BKH Group of Bobbi and Baylee Herman would be happy to answer any questions and help you get started on your home search!